Isaiah 2:1-11

The Future House of God (Mic 4.1-5)

2:1 The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

2 In days to come

the mountain of the LORD’s house

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

and shall be raised above the hills;

all the nations shall stream to it.

3 Many peoples shall come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house of the God of Jacob;

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths.”

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

4 He shall judge between the nations,

and shall arbitrate for many peoples;

they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:1-4, NRSV)

Judgment Pronounced on Arrogance

5 O house of Jacob,

come, let us walk

in the light of the LORD!

6 For you have forsaken the ways of your people,

O house of Jacob.

Indeed they are full of diviners from the east

and of soothsayers like the Philistines,

and they clasp hands with foreigners.

7 Their land is filled with silver and gold,

and there is no end to their treasures;

their land is filled with horses,

and there is no end to their chariots.

8 Their land is filled with idols;

they bow down to the work of their hands,

to what their own fingers have made.

9 And so people are humbled,

and everyone is brought low-

do not forgive them!

10 Enter into the rock,

and hide in the dust

from the terror of the LORD,

and from the glory of his majesty.

11 The haughty eyes of people shall be brought low,

and the pride of everyone shall be humbled;

and the LORD alone will be exalted on that day. (Isaiah 2:5-11, NRSV)

On December 6, 2006 (Wednesday in the week of the First Sunday of Advent, Year One), comments were repeated with some revision and supplement from December 1, 2004, two years ago (Wednesday in the week of the First Sunday of Advent, Year One); the comments are repeated here:

The second superscription in Isaiah (Isa. 2:1; cf. 1:1) “may introduce either ch. 2, or chs. 2-4 or chs. 2-12,” according to Joseph Blenkinsopp (NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Isa. 2:1), who adds, “Both here and at 1:1 the Hebrew word translated saw [chāzāh] means literally ‘saw in vision’.”

Isaiah presents a vision of the new age with peace among the nations, who will come to Jerusalem for instruction (Isa. 2:2-4), which is practically identical to Micah 4:1-4 (which adds “up” in v. 1 [“raised up” Mic. 4:1, cf. “raised” Isa. 2:2, and a couple transpositions of “nations” and “peoples”). They were contemporaries, Isaiah of Jerusalem, and Micah of the small village Moresheth, but they shared a common vision of peace among nations.

            For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,

               and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

            He shall judge between the nations,

               and shall arbitrate for many peoples;

            they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

               and their spears into pruning hooks;

            nation shall not lift up sword against nation;

               neither shall they learn war any more. (Isa. 2:3d-4, NRSV)

The last four lines (Isa. 2:4b, c) are inscribed on the wall at Peace Park at the United Nations in New York City (http://habitat.igc.org/peace-park/pp03.htm, accessed again Dec. 2, 2008). A sculpture in the United Nations garden called “Swords Into Plowshares” pictures this prophecy of Isaiah. Its picture is on the internet at http://www.un.org/pubs/cyberschoolbus/untour/subswo.htm (accessed Dec. 2, 2008). The following explanation accompanies the picture:

The United Nations garden contains several sculptures and statues that have been donated by different countries. This one is called "Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares" and was a gift from the then Soviet Union presented in 1959. Made by Evgeniy Vuchetich, the bronze statue represents the figure of a man holding a hammer in one hand and, in the other, a sword which he is making into a plowshare, symbolizing man's desire to put an end to war and convert the means of destruction into creative tools for the benefit of all mankind. (Copyright © 2001 United Nations)

Isaiah continues with a list of Jacob’s sins (vv. 5-11), included in the Daily Office Lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer for today but in Thursday’s reading in the Daily Lectionaries of the Presbyterian Book of Common Worship and the Lutheran Book of Worship. This list begins by calling upon Israel again to amend her ways. “O house of Jacob, / come, let us walk / in the light of the LORD!” (v. 5). The prophet addresses the “house of Jacob”: “For you have forsaken the ways of your people” (v. 6a, b). He accuses them of using “diviners from the east,” and “soothsayers like the Philistines” (v. 6c, d). According to Blenkinsopp, “Diviners and soothsayers were proscribed [prohibited] (Deut. 18:0-14), but such practices were part of popular religion in Israel at all times (1 Sam. 28:8-15; Ezek. 13:9)” (op. cit., on v. 6). Such practices were apparently encouraged by their “clasp[ing] hands with foreigners,” (v. 6e) that is, “commercial transactions” (ibid.). The following accusations include filling the land “with silver and gold,” with endless “treasures,” “with horses [and] chariots” (v. 7), resources for war that stand in sharp contrast to the earlier vision of peace.

But the climax of the list is the accusation of idolatry: “Their land is filled with idols; / they bow down to the work of their hands, / to what their own fingers have made” (v. 8). The prophet adds that “people are humbled, / and everyone is brought low” (v. 9a, b). We might ask, Is this because of the leaders’ idolatry? Or are the people humbled by their very idolatrous acts? And is it the people? or the leaders, of whom it is said, “do not forgive them! (v. 9c)? Of the words, “Do not forgive them,” Blenkinsopp says, “Together with the final verse 22, this exclamation reflects the apocalyptic mindset and worldview; it is absent from the Qumran Isaiah scroll (1QIsa^a) and from the parallel 5:15” (ibid., on v. 9). The people are warned to hide from coming judgment. “Enter into the rock, / and hide in the dust / from the terror of the LORD, / and from the glory of his majesty” (v. 10). Blenkinsopp also sees this warning as “characteristic of apocalyptic writers” (ibid., on v. 10), probably implying the work of late editors. But the prophet says that human pride will be humbled in the face of the LORD’s exaltation. “The haughty eyes of people shall be brought low, / and the pride of everyone shall be humbled; / and the LORD alone will be exalted on that day” (v. 11).

R. Coggins says that “the passage as a whole brings together two basic Isaianic themes: the vanity of human self-confidence and the folly of worshipping false gods (2:11). The poem reaches a climax with the assertion of God’s sole power ‘in that day’. Here the way in which the ‘day’ is spoken of differs sharply from the picture of the latter “days’ in v. 2. There it was a time of the vindication of Zion and its worshippers, here it is an occasion of unmitigated disaster” (The Oxford Bible Commentary, 2001, pp. 440-441, on Isa. 2:6-21).

1 Thessalonians 2:13-20

13 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins; but God’s wrath has overtaken them at last.

Paul’s Desire to Visit the Thessalonians Again

17 As for us, brothers and sisters, when, for a short time, we were made orphans by being separated from you-in person, not in heart-we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face. 18 For we wanted to come to you-certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again-but Satan blocked our way. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 Yes, you are our glory and joy! (1 Thessalonians 2:13-20, NRSV)

On April 17, 2008 (Thursday in the week of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year One), comments were repeated from December 6, 2006 (Wednesday in the week of the First Sunday of Advent, Year One), when comments were combined with revision and supplement from December 1, 2004, (Wednesday of the week of the First Sunday of Advent, Year One), and from May 11, 2005 (Thursday of the week of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year Two). The combined comments are repeated here:

Paul again expresses thanks for the Thessalonian believers. He expresses thanks for the Thessalonian believers' eager and sincere acceptance of his preaching "not as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at work in you believers" (1 Thess. 2:13). He is aware of their suffering “the same things from your own compatriots as they [believers in Judea] did from the Jews” (v. 14). As a result of accepting Paul’s message, “they recapitulated in their life as a Christian community the kind of experiences undergone by the original Christian communities in Judea, namely, suffering at the hands of their compatriots for their acceptance of the apostolic message” (Paul J Achtemeier, Joel B. Green, and Marianne Maye Thompson, Introducing the New Testament, 2001, p. 430). Paul charges the Judean Jews with killing “both the Lord Jesus and the prophets” and driving him (“us”) out, asserting that they have hindered the proclamation of the Apostolic message (vv. 15-16a). He asserts that “they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins; but God’s wrath has overtaken them at last” (v. 16b). The “wrath” that has overtaken some Jews would not be the Roman victory in the Jewish war with the devastation of Jerusalem and the temple, for that would come later (A.D. 66-70). “Perhaps,” says Abraham Smith, “the wrath of God is not an explicit occurrence (such as the expulsion of the Jews in 49 CE from Rome or the massacre of Jews in the Temple court in 49 CE [see Josephus, War, 2.12.1]), but simply God’s justice (as in 1:10) in preventing opponents anywhere from destroying God’s churches” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., 2001, on 1 Thess. 2:16).

When Paul was unavoidedly separated from the Thessalonian believers, “we [i.e. Paul and his companions] were made orphans” and “longed with great eagerness to see you face to face” (v. 17). for they are his "hope or joy or crown of boasting" (v. 19), his "glory and joy" (v. 20). Paul says, “we wanted to come to you–certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again–but Satan blocked our way” (v. 18). According to Edgar M. Krentz, “Paul interprets his frustrated attempts to visit Thessalonica as part of the apocalyptic struggle between God and Satan; see also Rom. 16:20; 2 Cor. 2:11; 11:15; 12:7” (HarperCollins Study Bible, 1^st ed., 1993, on 1 Thess. 2:18). By his love and longing to see the Thessalonian believers, Paul demonstrates this saying of Jesus, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35).

Luke 20:19-26

19 When the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people.

The Question about Paying Taxes (Mt 22.15-22; Mk 12.13-17)

20 So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. 21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” 23 But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?” They said, “The emperor’s.” 25 He said to them, “Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent. (Luke 20:19-26, NRSV)

On June 19, 2007 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to June 15, Year One), comments were based on those of December 6, 2006 (Wednesday in the week of the First Sunday of Advent, Year One, when comments were used from December 1, 2004, and from June 14, 2005 (Tuesday of the week of the Sunday closest to June 15, Year One). The revised comments are repeated here. Parallel passages for this reading are found in the separate file Paying Tribute to Caesar.

Jesus is confronted with another question intended “to trap him by what he said” (Lk. 20:20). “Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. [Note the irony.] Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” (vv 21-22). They thus present Jesus with a dilemma, which he handles well. After the exchange about the denarius–the wage for one day’s work by a laborer–noting that the coin bears the image of the emperor’s [Tiberius’] head, Jesus says, “Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (v. 25). According to David L. Tiede, revised by Christopher R. Matthews, “A Roman denarius of this era bore the engraved image of Tiberius Caesar . . . and the inscription ‘SON OF THE DIVINE AUGUSTUS’ ” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Lk. 20:24; cf. Tiede’s comment on the same verse in the first edition of 1993). This image, together with the image of the head, was a sacrilege for the Jews (cf. Ex. 20:23). A recent interpretation says, “Thus it is very likely that when Jesus said, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,’ he was saying, ‘Give back to Caesar his worthless coins, and give to God your whole-hearted and undivided allegiance” (Ben Witherington, following R. David Kaylor, in The Jesus Quest: the Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth, p. 155). Witherington adds:

It seems Jesus is being deliberately oblique at this point, forcing his audience to ponder his reply rather than jump to conclusions that he was either for or against paying tribute money or taxes to Caesar. . . .  Jesus turns the discussion to focus on a more primary question, Who is Lord? Jesus’ view then would amount neither to open cooperation with Caesar or violent revolution against him, but recognizing only God’s lordship and thus relativizing Caesar’s claims.

We are certainly advised to “give . . . to God the things that are God’s” (v. 25).

In comment on Mark’s version of this story (Mk. 12:13-17; Mt. 22:15-22; Lk. 20:20-26), James D. G. Dunn says that this “exchange occasioned by a question put by some Pharisees and Herodians”

was certainly of inescapable political significance. Why would such a question be put to Jesus, unless it was considered that his opinion might be regarded as significant or at least that his answer might provide opportunity to denounce him as a political threat? (Jesus Remembered, 2003, p. 636)

Some recent scholars, including S. G. F. Brandon, in books such as The Fall of Jerusalem and the Christian Church (2^nd ed., 1957), Jesus and the Zealots (1967), The Trial of Jesus of Nazareth (1967), have claimed that Jesus’ message about the kingdom of God had political overtones, that in fact he was attempting to start a political revolution. Dunn argues against this position (Dunn, 622-624). One of Jesus’ disciples was Simon “the Zealot,” but Dunn says,

it is highly unlikely that Simon’s nickname of ‘zealot’ (Luke 6:15) had any of the connotations of ‘freedom-fighter’ at the time of Jesus. Mark, writing round about the time of the first revolt, may have chosen to disguise the fact by calling Simon ‘the Cananaean’, from the Aramaic word for ‘zealot’ or ‘enthusiast’ (qan’an); that is, he transliterated rather than translated the Aramaic. Even so, however, the confrontation at the time of Jesus was of a zealous person, not of an advocate of revolutionary violence. (Dunn, 623)

Dunn adds:

Second, if Jesus did indeed teach that love of neighbour included love of enemies, as most agree, then that alone knocks a large hole in any thesis that Jesus sought a military solution. And in more general terms we have already noted how quiet Palestine was at this period with Roman detachments in Judea more for police duty, as we might say, than as an oppressive military garrison. (Dunn, 623-624)

On the question about the tribute money, Dunn says:

Brandon’s argument that it would have been heard as forbidding tribute, since the land and all its produce belongs to God, has an echo in the accusation attested only in Luke 23:2 (‘We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar’). But the clearer inference, given that the saying was uttered with reference to a denarius bearing the head of Tiberius (Mark 12:16 pars.), is that Jesus acknowledged the right of the Emperor to levy tribute from his subject peoples. Here again, the fact that the charge features so little in the trials of Jesus (Luke 23:2 apart) suggests that no case of any weight could be built on it. That the saying contributes anything towards an answer to our question, therefore, is at best uncertain. But it certainly bears witness to Jesus’ own political astuteness. (Dunn, 650-651)

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net