Isaiah 10:5-19 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

Arrogant Assyria Also Judged

5 Ah, Assyria, the rod of my anger–

the club in their hands is my fury!

6 Against a godless nation I send him,

and against the people of my wrath I command him,

to take spoil and seize plunder,

and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

7 But this is not what he intends,

nor does he have this in mind;

but it is in his heart to destroy,

and to cut off nations not a few.

8 For he says:

“Are not my commanders all kings?

9 Is not Calno like Carchemish?

Is not Hamath like Arpad?

Is not Samaria like Damascus?

10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols

whose images were greater than those of Jerusalem and Samaria,

11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols

what I have done to Samaria and her images?”

12 When the Lord has finished all his work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, he will punish the arrogant boasting of the king of Assyria and his haughty pride. 13 For he says:

“By the strength of my hand I have done it,

and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;

I have removed the boundaries of peoples,

and have plundered their treasures;

like a bull I have brought down those who sat on thrones.

14 My hand has found, like a nest,

the wealth of the peoples;

and as one gathers eggs that have been forsaken,

so I have gathered all the earth;

and there was none that moved a wing,

or opened its mouth, or chirped.”

15 Shall the ax vaunt itself over the one who wields it,

or the saw magnify itself against the one who handles it?

As if a rod should raise the one who lifts it up,

or as if a staff should lift the one who is not wood!

16 Therefore the Sovereign, the LORD of hosts,

will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors,

and under his glory a burning will be kindled,

like the burning of fire.

17 The light of Israel will become a fire,

and his Holy One a flame;

and it will burn and devour

his thorns and briers in one day.

18 The glory of his forest and his fruitful land

the LORD will destroy, both soul and body,

and it will be as when an invalid wastes away.

19 The remnant of the trees of his forest will be so few

that a child can write them down. (Isaiah 10:5-19, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from December 17, 2004, two years ago (Friday of the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One):

Isaiah has predicted God’s judgment on Israel and Judah through the use of Assyria, “the bee that is in the land of Assyria” (Isa. 7:18), when “the Lord will shave with a razor hired beyond the River–with the king of Assyria–the head and the hair of the feet, and it will take off the beard as well” (v. 20). Now Isaiah points out that it is God, not Assyria, that is in control. “Assyria, the rod of my anger– / the club in their hands is my fury!” (Isa. 10:5) . But the list of Assyria’s conquests (v. 9) has made them proud. “Are not my commanders all kings?” (v. 8). The Assyrian calls Jerusalem’s LORD another idol.

            shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols

               what I have done to Samaria and her images? (Isa. 10:11)

Assyria continues to boast:

            By the strength of my hand I have done it,

               and by my wisdom, for I have understanding;

            I have removed the boundaries of peoples,

               and have plundered their treasures;

            like a bull I have brought down those who sat on thrones. (v. 13)

God responds with irony:

            Shall the ax [Assyria] vaunt itself over the one [God] who wields it,

               or the saw magnify itself against the one who handles it?

            As if a rod should raise the one who lifts it up,

               or as if a staff should lift the one who lis not wood! (v. 15)

So, in the end, the conqueror will find that God has turned against him:

            Therefore the Sovereign, the LORD of hosts,

               will send wasting sickness among his stout warriors

            and under his glory a burning will be kindled,

               like the burning of fire. (v. 16)

Isaiah 31:1-9 (Presbyterian)

Alliance with Egypt Is Futile

31:1 Alas for those who go down to Egypt for help

and who rely on horses,

who trust in chariots because they are many

and in horsemen because they are very strong,

but do not look to the Holy One of Israel

or consult the LORD!

2 Yet he too is wise and brings disaster;

he does not call back his words,

but will rise against the house of the evildoers,

and against the helpers of those who work iniquity.

3 The Egyptians are human, and not God;

their horses are flesh, and not spirit.

When the LORD stretches out his hand,

the helper will stumble, and the one helped will fall,

and they will all perish together.

4 For thus the LORD said to me,

As a lion or a young lion growls over its prey,

and-when a band of shepherds is called out against it-

is not terrified by their shouting

or daunted at their noise,

so the LORD of hosts will come down

to fight upon Mount Zion and upon its hill.

5 Like birds hovering overhead, so the LORD of hosts

will protect Jerusalem;

he will protect and deliver it,

he will spare and rescue it.

6 Turn back to him whom you have deeply betrayed, O people of Israel. 7 For on that day all of you shall throw away your idols of silver and idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you.

8 “Then the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of mortals;

and a sword, not of humans, shall devour him;

he shall flee from the sword,

and his young men shall be put to forced labor.

9 His rock shall pass away in terror,

and his officers desert the standard in panic,”

says the LORD, whose fire is in Zion,

and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 31:1-9, NRSV)

This reading begins with “Alas” (NRSV) for hôy, “alas! woe!” which is used in (1) a lament as in 1 Kings 13:20 or (2) a prophetic threat, as here. A third use is as an “encouraging, inciting, ho!” as in Isaiah 18:2 (William L. Holladay. Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, s.v. hôy). John N. Oswalt points out a series of “woes in this subdivision of the book,” of which the one in Isaiah 31:1 is the last, and “brings the sequence to a kind of a climax” (Isaiah, The NIV Application Commentary, p. 358, on Isa. 31:1-9). He lists the following woes: 28:1; 29:1; 29:15; 30:1; 31:1, all introduced by hôy, and all translated in the NIV by “woe,” but variously translated by the NRSV: “Ah, the proud garland of the drunkards of Ephraim” (28:1a), “Ah, Ariel, Ariel, / the city where David encamped!” (29:1a, b), “Ha! You who hide a plan too deep for the LORD, / whose deeds are in the dark, / and who say, ‘Who sees us? Who knows us?’” (29:15), “Oh, rebellious children, / who carry out a plan, but not mine; / who make an alliance [with Egypt, v. 2], but against my will / adding sin to sin” (30:1), and “Alas for those who go down to Egypt for help” (31:1a). While the NRSV language varies the translation of hôy, this series clearly represents prophetic threats which identify those upon whom the judgment of the LORD will fall. Oswalt sums up the series briefly:

The woe in 28:1 was against the drunken leaders in Ephraim; in 29:1 it was against those in Jerusalem who depended on cultic righteousness; in 29:14 it was against those who tried to hid their counsel from the Lord; in 30:1 it was against ‘obstinate children’ who would not bring to the Lord their plans to make an alliance with Egypt. The present ‘woe’ is specifically against “those who go down to Egypt for help.’ Thus, the climax (or the nadir) has been reached. Drunken leaders who focus on the wrong things have given ungodly advice that rebellious people have adopted without consulting God. (Ibid.)

The going to Egypt for help which the prophet denounces (Isa. 31:1a), includes reliance on the instruments of war.

They “rely on horses,” they “trust in chariots because they are many / and in horsemen because they are very strong,” says the prophet (v. 1b, c), but they fail to look to the LORD for help: they “do not look to the Holy One of Israel / or consult the LORD!” (v. 1d). They really should look to the LORD for help, says the prophet, because “he too is wise and brings disaster; / he does not call back his words, / but will rise against the house of the evildoers, / and against the helpers of those who work iniquity” (v. 2). “The Egyptians,” on the other hand, “are human, and not God,” says the prophet; “their horses are flesh, and not spirit” (v. 3a, b). In contrast, “When the LORD stretches out his hand, / the helper will stumble, and the one helped will fall, / and they will all perish together” (v. 3c, d, e).

The prophet reports that the LORD spoke to him comparing his protection of Mount Zion to “a lion or a young lion [who] growls over its prey,” and is not terrified by the shouting of shepherds attempting to protect the flock (v. 4). “Like birds hovering overhead, so the LORD of hosts / will protect Jerusalem;” says the prophet; “he will protect and deliver it, / he will spare and rescue it” (v. 5). So there is no reason to seek an alliance with Egypt. The prophet continues with a prose appeal: “Turn back to him whom you have deeply betrayed, O people of Israel” (v. 6). The betrayal is described as idolatry, from which the people should turn away. “For on that day all of you shall throw away your idols of silver and idols of gold, which your hands have sinfully made for you” (v. 7). The result of such repentance is described, again in poetic lines, as an oracle, the word of the LORD (v. 9c):

“Then the Assyrian shall fall by a sword, not of mortals;

and a sword, not of humans, shall devour him;

he shall flee from the sword,

and his young men shall be put to forced labor.

His rock shall pass away in terror,

and his officers desert the standard in panic,”

says the LORD, whose fire is in Zion,

and whose furnace is in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 31:8-9)

According to Joseph Blenkinsopp, “The complete and final annihilation of Assyria [is described].” He adds that this is “the last time the name [Assyria] occurs in chs. 1-35” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Isa. 31:8-9).

2 Peter 2:17-22 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm; for them the deepest darkness has been reserved. 18 For they speak bombastic nonsense, and with licentious desires of the flesh they entice people who have just escaped from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb,

“The dog turns back to its own vomit,”

and,

“The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud.” (2 Peter 2:17-22, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from December 17, 2004, two years ago (Friday of the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One):

Peter’s strong criticism of the false teachers continues. “These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm; for them the deepest darkness has been reserved” (2 Pet. 2:17). Still on the same “wave length,” Jude says, “They are waterless clouds carried along by the winds . . .wandering stars, for whom the deepest darkness has been reserved forever” (Jude 12-13). But Peter piles on the criticism. “They [the false teachers] speak bombastic nonsense, and with licentious desires of the flesh they entice people who have just escaped from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them” (2 Pet. 2:18-19). Peter continues, with an allusion to Jesus saying about the return of the unclean spirit (Mt. 12:43-45; Lk. 11:24-26): “For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them then the first” (2 Pet. 2:20). Their last state is worse than the first. Peter adds a couple proverbs: “The dog turns back to its own vomit,” and, “The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud” (v. 22). The sharpness of all these criticisms surely points to a dangerous heretical threat!

Revelation 21:22-22:5 (Presbyterian)

22 I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. 26 People will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

The River of Life

22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 21:22-22:5, NRSV)

The following comments are combined with revision and supplement here from December 23, 2004, two years ago (Thursday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One), and from November 17, 2005 (Thursday of the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year Two), comments which were also repeated on January 6, 2006 (Epiphany, Year Two).

John continues to describe the New Jerusalem as the return of Paradise. “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb” (Rev. 21:22). "And the city has no need of sun or moon . . . for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:23). The city–or should we say, the Lamb?– is a light for the nations, for “the nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it” (v. 24). The kind of threats for which people in this world lock doors and shut gates will not be a problem in the New Jerusalem, for “its “gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there” (v. 25). According to Jean-Pierre Ruiz, “open gates symbolize safety; see Isa. 60:11; Zech. 14:7; 1QM 12:13-14" (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Rev. 21:25).

In John’s vision, “people will bring into it [the New Jerusalem] the glory and the honor of the nations.” (v. 26), which reminds us of Isaiah’s promise of “the new heavens and the new earth” (Isa. 66:22), in which “all flesh shall come to worship before me, / says the LORD” (v. 23). In the New Jerusalem described by John “nothing unclean will enter it [i.e. the New Jerusalem], nor anyone who practices abominations or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life" (Rev. 21:27).

Key features of the New Jerusalem will be “the river of the water of life” (Rev. 22:1) that will far surpass the San Antonia Riverwalk–no offense to San Antonio!–and the tree of life (v. 2). For the river of the water of life, Ruiz lists several comparable references (Gen. 2:10; Ps. 46:4; Ezek. 47:1; Zech 14:8, on Rev. 22:1). The “tree of life” has “twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (v. 2). “The tree [is] a collective reference to many trees on either side of the river (Ezek. 47:12; cf. 2:7n)” (Ruiz, on Rev. 22:2). Paradise regained indeed! “Nothing accursed will be found there any more. But the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (vv. 3-5). “Those who worship God (v. 3) shall reign with him in eternal triumph” (Bruce M. Metzger, NOAB, 2^nd ed., on Rev. 22:5).

Matthew 11:2-15 (Episcopal and Lutheran)

2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

Jesus Praises John the Baptist (Lk 7.24-35)

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written,

‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way before you.’

11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John came; 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 15 Let anyone with ears listen! (Matthew 11:2-15, NRSV)

The following comments are repeated here from December 17, 2004, two years ago (Friday of the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One):

The Gospel reading for today, on John the Baptist (Matthew 11:2-15) is partly parallel to the reading twelve days ago (Luke 7:28-35, Dec. 5). Matthew can refer briefly to “what the Messiah was doing” (Mt. 11:2), referring to the miracles and related events of chapters 8-12, but Luke, who has a different structure, gives specifics, “Jesus had just then cured many people of diseases, plagues, and evil spirits, and had given sight to many who were blind” (Lk. 7:21), as background for Jesus’ answer, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard” (v. 22a; cf. Mt. 11:4, with “what you see and hear”). In both, Jesus answer continues with “ the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, [and] the poor have good news brought to them” (Mt. 11:5; Lk. 7:22b). Both use the quotation identifying John as the “messenger” promised in Malachi 3:1 (Mt. 11:10; Lk. 7:27), but only Matthew spells out its meaning, “If you are willing to accept it, he [John the Baptist] is Elijah who is to come” (Mt. 11:14). A key verse for Matthew appears elsewhere in Luke: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” ( Mt. 11:12); “The law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force” (Lk. 16:16, with an alternative reading in the footnote, “everyone is strongly urged to enter it”). Krister Stendahl (Peake’s Commentary on the Bible, sec. 684e, p. 784, on Mt. 11:12) sees a phrase from Matthew 11:12 as “a veritable crux of interpretation” [problematic phrase, interpreted differently by scholars]. He says that verse 12b “reads either: ‘the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence (passive) and men of violence grab it’ or ‘the Kingdom of Heaven manifests itself violently (or: powerfully; reflexive) and keen and daring men take hold of it.’ The latter meaning fits better into Mt.’s context, but the former–taken as a reference to Zealots and others who entertain military dreams of Israel’s deliverance–is more natural from a linguistic point of view . . . In whatever way the intermediate situation be described, the prophetic ministry of John was the last phase and predicted climax before the coming of the Kingdom.” (For further comments on the parallel passage in Luke, see the comments for December 5, 2004 in the Archive.)

Luke 1:39-48a (48b-56) (Presbyterian)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Mary’s Song of Praise

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

50 His mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

and lifted up the lowly;

53 he has filled the hungry with good things,

and sent the rich away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. (Luke 1:39-48a (48b-56), NRSV)

The following comments were repeated with minor adaptation from December 23, 2004, two years ago (Thursday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year One), on December 21, 2005 (Wednesday of the week of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year Two), and are used with further adaptation again here:

In the reading from Luke, Mary comes to visit Elizabeth and is greeted by a blessing. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Lk. 1:42). When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, “the child in my womb leaped for joy” (v. 44). She concludes by summing up Mary’s response to Gabriel. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord” (v. 45). Mary responds in poetic lines that have been called the Magnificat, from the first word in the Latin version: “My soul magnifies [magnificat, first in Latin word order] the Lord, / and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, / for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. (Lk. 1:46-48a NRSV)

Mary’s song has been compared to Hannah’s prayer (1 Sam. 2:1-10). Hannah’s prayer has been classified as a community song of thanksgiving because it anticipates good things for God’s people under Samuel’s leadership. Hannah’s prayer (song) celebrates the fact that “The bows of the mighty are broken, / but the feeble gird on strength. / Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, / but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. (1 Sam. 2:4, 5a,b). Hannah also sings, proclaiming that “The Lord makes poor and makes rich; / he brings low, he also exalts. / He raises up the poor from the dust; / he lifts the needy from the ash heap, / to make them sit with princes / and inherit a seat of honor” (1 Sam. 2:7, 8a, b). We may compare lines from Mary’s song: “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, / and lifted up the lowly; / he has filled the hungry with good things, / and sent the rich away empty. (Lk. 1:52-53). Mary celebrates not only the favor shown to her by the Lord (vv. 48, 49), but also the fulfillment, through her son to be born, as we know, of “the promise he made to our ancestors, / to Abraham and to his descendants forever (v. 55).

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

rworden@houston.rr.com