Isaiah 25:1-9

Praise for Deliverance from Oppression

25:1 O LORD, you are my God;

I will exalt you, I will praise your name;

for you have done wonderful things,

plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

2 For you have made the city a heap,

the fortified city a ruin;

the palace of aliens is a city no more,

it will never be rebuilt.

3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;

cities of ruthless nations will fear you.

4 For you have been a refuge to the poor,

a refuge to the needy in their distress,

a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.

When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,

5 the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place,

you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;

the song of the ruthless was stilled.

6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples

a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,

of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.

7 And he will destroy on this mountain

the shroud that is cast over all peoples,

the sheet that is spread over all nations;

8 he will swallow up death forever.

Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces,

and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,

for the LORD has spoken.

9 It will be said on that day,

Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.

This is the LORD for whom we have waited;

let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (Isaiah 25:1-9, NRSV)

The following comments are based on those of April 2, 2005 (Saturday of Easter Week, Year One), that were used on December 30, 2006 (Saturday of Christmas Week, References for December 30, Year One), and on April 14, 2007 (Saturday of Holy Week, Year One):

Isaiah, chapters twenty-four through twenty-seven have been called the “Isaiah Apocalypse” “because of their use of eschatological themes found in later apocalyptic writings (universal judgment, eschatological banquet, heavenly signs, and the like)” (Victor R. Gold and William L. Holladay, NOAB, 2^nd ed., on Isa. 24-27; cf. Joseph Blenkinsopp in the 3^rd ed., on Isa. 24-27). 25:1-5 is called a “psalm of thanksgiving (compare Ps. 145)” (Gold and Holladay). The psalm begins with praise to the LORD for doing “wonderful things, / plans formed of old, faithful and sure” (Isa. 25:1). These wonderful things include the destruction of an oppressive foreign city. “For you have made the city a heap, / the fortified city a ruin; / the palace of aliens is a city no more, / it will never be rebuilt” (v. 2). The identity of the city made “a heap,” “a ruin” is uncertain, according to Gold and Holladay (ibid., on Isa. 25:2), but the “the poor, the helpless [are] (perhaps Jews) contrasted with strong peoples” (ibid., on vv. 3-4). “In God’s wise plan,” says Blenkinsopp, “the (unnamed) city, symbol of oppression, has been destroyed, and the poor and needy vindicated” (op. cit., on 25:1-5). According to Benjamin D. Sommer, these verses

seem to refer to some historical event in the past and to have a particular city in mind, though they give no indication whatsoever regarding the identity of the arrogant city that has been overthrown. In both respects this short song differs from most of chs. 24-27. It is possible that these vv. originated as a song of triumph after the downfall of some major city such as the Assyrian capital and were later reused here as an example of the song that will be sung by the faithful remnant that endures after the end of days. (The Jewish Study Bible, 2004, p. 831, on Isa. 25:1-5).

It is the LORD who will be glorified by “strong peoples” (v. 3a), and feared by “cities of ruthless nations” (v. 3b). “For you have been a refuge to the poor,” says the psalm, “a refuge to the needy in their distress, / a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat” (v. 4a, b, c). The psalm of thanksgiving closes with specific reference to the time of the LORD’s deliverance. “When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm, / the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place, / you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds; / the song of the ruthless was stilled” (vv. 4d, e, 5). “In God’s wise plan (cf. 9:5; 10:5-19; 14:24-27),” says Blenkinsopp, “the (unnamed) city, symbol of oppression, has been destroyed and the poor and needy vindicated” (op. cit., on Isa. 25:1-5).

In a new stanza, the prophet says, “On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples / a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, / of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear” (v. 6). This “eschatological banquet” (vv. 6-10a) is described in a way that “is closely linked with 24:21-23, referring to the banquet on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:11). The motif of the eschatological (or messianic) banquet is frequent in early Jewish (e.g. the Rule of the Community at Qumran; 1 Enoch 60:24) and in early Christian (Mt. 8:11-12; 222:1-14) literatures” (ibid., on vv. 6-10a). We are also reminded of the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). On the occasion of this banquet, the LORD “destroy on this mountain / the shroud that is cast over all peoples, / the sheet that is spread over all nations; / he will swallow up death forever” (vv. 7-8a). In destroying the shroud and the sheet, “garments worn in time of mourning” (ibid.), God will bring an end to death. He “will wipe away the tears from all faces, / and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth” (v. 8b, c). There will be rejoicing in this time of celebration, as people, in particular, the Jews, say “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. / This is the LORD for whom we have waited; / let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (v. 9). The stanza concludes with an explanation. “For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain” (v. 10a, referring to Zion).

Revelation 1:9-20

A Vision of Christ

9 I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10 I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamum, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

12 Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and in the midst of the lampstands I saw one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, 15 his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining with full force.

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19 Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:9-20, NRSV)

The following comments are based on relevant comments of December 11 and 12, 2007 (Tuesday and Wednesday in the week of the Second Sunday of Advent, Year Two) when the readings were Revelation 1:9-16 and 1:17-2:7, respectively. Those comments were based on earlier comments as noted there:

John continues to address “the seven churches that are in Asia” (Rev. 1:4), as noted yesterday, but his audience is not limited to those churches when he identifies himself as “I, John, your brother who share with you in Jesus the persecution and the kingdom and the patient endurance” (v. 9a). He says he “was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (v. 9b). Although not a martyr–at least not yet–John was in some sense a victim of oppression and persecution perpetrated by the Roman authorities. “Patmos,” says David E. Aune, was “a populated island thirty-seven miles southwest of Ephesus. There is no evidence that it was ever a Roman penal colony, but John may have been banished from his home territory and forced to go there during the reign of the emperor who banished him” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Rev. 1:9). However, more important than his physical surroundings or circumstances, John makes it plain that, like the prophets of old who spoke the word of the Lord, he writes this book under divine inspiration. “I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day,” he says, “and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet” (v. 10).

While each of the seven churches in Asia is addressed in turn (chaps. 2, 3), the book as a whole is addressed to one and all among Christian believers. After each church is addressed in turn (chaps. 2, 3), the book is addressed to one and all among Christian believers. It closes with the Lord’s open-ended invitation, “‘Come!’ / And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come!’ / And let everyone who is thirsty come. / Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift” (Rev. 22:17). But in today’s reading, the voice behind John instructs him to “write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches,” which are then listed by name in the order in which they will be addressed (1:11): Ephesus (2:1-7), Smyrna (2:8-11), Pergamum (2:12-17), Thyatira (2:18-29, Sardis (3:1-6), Philadelphia (3:7-13), and Laodicea (3:14-22).

John says that he turned “to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands” (v. 12). The lampstands symbolize the seven churches, in the midst of which John sees “one like the Son of Man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash across his chest” (v. 13). In this vision John sees the presence of the exalted Christ in the midst of the churches that he is addressing. But the language continues to relate to Daniel’s vision of the “Son of Man, “ as noted yesterday (Dan. 7:13-14; cf. Rev. 1:7). Jean Pierre Ruiz (building on the work of Bruce M. Metzger) calls attention to an impressive array of Old Testament imagery relating to the power and majesty of God himself.

In the midst of the churches (see v. 20) stands the exalted Christ, whose royalty, eternity, wisdom, and immutability are suggested by means of symbols; the effect is that of terrifying majesty (compare v. 17 with Isa. 6:5). [The] seven golden lampstands [are] reminiscent of those that stood in the wilderness tabernacle and in the Jerusalem Temple (cf. Zech. 4:1-14). [For] Son of Man (cf. 14:14; Mk. 2:10), a title Jesus used of himself, had two meanings (1) a typical human being in accordance with a common extended meaning of ‘son of’ (see Mt. 5:45; (2) a reference to the heavenly figure of Dan. 7:13-14 who was to embody God’s rule over the nations. (Ruiz, NOAB, 3^rd ed., on Rev. 1:12-26; cf. Metzger, NOAB, 2^nd ed., on Rev. 1:12-16).

The description of Christ seems to merge here into the image of the Ancient One (Dan. 7:13). “His head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; his eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of many waters” (Rev. 1:14-15). With the words, “sound of many waters, Ezekiel also makes a similar comparison with the voice of the Almighty (Ezek. 1:24; 43:2),” says Metzger (loc. cit.).

As the vision continues (tomorrow’s reading), the Lord commissions John to "write" (v. 19), after words of reassurance, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades" (vv. 17-18). “Hades,” says Metzger, “used here with its synonym Death, is the abode of the dead; Christ has the keys to release those confined within its gates (Mt. 16:18; Jn. 5:25-29)” (on Rev. 1:18).

For the effect, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead” (v. 17a), compare Isaiah’s response to his vision in the temple (Isa. 6:5). But the Lord (Christ) raises him up. “I am the first and the last” (v. 17; cf. God as “the Alpha and the Omega,” v. 8). Christ’s self-description continues: he is “the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades” (v. 18). John is told to write what he has seen (v. 19). It is explained to him that “the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches,” that is, the “seven lampstands” (v. 20). As John concludes the report of his initial vision of the glorified Christ (Rev. 1:17-20), and turns to letters to the seven churches of Asia, that is, to the “angel” of each church. According to Ruiz, the message to each church contains “an address, a descriptive phrase referring to the risen Christ, a commendation, or condemnation of the church addressed, an admonition, and a concluding promise and exhortation to the faithful” (op. cit., on Rev. 2:1-3:22). The readings will turn to some of these messages beginning Wednesday of next week (in the reading for January 7).

John 7:53-8:11

[[ 53 Then each of them went home,8 1 while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”]]

The following comments are repeated here from December 30, 2006 (Saturday of Christmas Week, References for December 30, Year One):

This reading was used recently on December 13, 2006 (Wednesday in the week of the Second Sunday of Advent, Year One). At that time earlier comments were combined, and now they are used again here.

The following comments are combined with revision and supplement here from December 8, 2004 (Wednesday of the week of the Second Sunday in Advent, Year One), and from December 30, 2004 (in the week of the First Sunday after Christmas, Year One), comments which were repeated on February 2, 2006 (Tuesday in the week of the Fifth Sunday of Epiphany, Year Two):

The square brackets, [[ . . . ]], are a reminder: “The most ancient authorities lack 7:53-8:11; other authorities add the passage here or after 7:36 or after 21:25 or after Luke 21:38, with variations of text; some mark the passage as doubtful” (NRSV footnote k on Jn. 7:53-8:11). According to Donald G. Miller and Bruce M. Metzger, the story of how Jesus dealt with the Woman Caught in Adultery (Jn. 7:53-8:11), though “omitted in many ancient manuscripts, appears to be an authentic incident in Jesus’ ministry, though not belonging originally to John’s Gospel” (NOAB, 2^nd ed., on Jn. 7:53-8:11). This variation in New Testament manuscripts is understood to mean that the passage, while not a part of the original manuscript of John’s Gospel, describes an authentic event in Jesus’ ministry–he really was confronted by this situation. According to C. K. Barrett, “the story is probably ancient; there is evidence that Papias recorded a story ‘about a woman accused in the Lord’s presence of many sins’” (Peake’s Commentary on the Bible, sec. 759d, p. 868, on Jn. 7:53-8:11).

Jesus was teaching in the temple (Jn. 8:2), and “the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’” (vv. 3-5). That she was “caught in the very act” (v. 4) “is significant . . . eyewitnesses were necessary if punishment was to be inflicted” (Barrett, loc. cit.). But the Mosaic Law about adultery calls for the death of both the man and the woman (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22). If the woman is engaged, and both are guilty, they are to be stoned (Deut. 22:23-24). But if he forces her (v. 25), “then only the man who lay with her shall die.” “According to the Mishnah, stoning is the punishment when the woman is betrothed, strangling when she is married” (Ibid.).

We are told that they, “the scribes and the Pharisees” (v. 3), “said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him” (v. 6a). Jesus’ first response is to bend down and write with his finger on the ground (v. 6b). “It is fruitless,” says Barrett, “to ask what Jesus wrote on the ground (6); he simply refuses to pass judgment” (Ibid.). They persist in their questioning him, but he stands up and says, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7), then bends down and continues writing (v. 8). After the accusers quietly slink away–that’s the word, isn’t it?–Jesus says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again” (v. 11). We can be grateful for a Lord who regards sin as a serious matter, but who recognizes the supreme value of persons whom he seeks to redeem. That’s the problem with sin, you know. It injures persons created in God’s image.

On December 10, 2008 (Wednesday in the week of the Second Sunday of Advent, Year One), comments were repeated from December 13, 2006 (Wednesday in the week of the Second Sunday of Advent, Year One), when comments were repeated from comments combined with revision and supplement from December 8, 2004 (Wednesday of the week of the Second Sunday in Advent, Year One), and from December 30, 2004 (in the week of the First Sunday after Christmas, Year One), comments which were repeated on February 2, 2006 (Tuesday in the week of the Fifth Sunday of Epiphany, Year Two). The combined comments are repeated again here:

The square brackets around the above text, [[ . . . ]] in the NRSV (cf. the note and the italicized text in TNIV), are a reminder: “The most ancient authorities lack 7:53-8:11; other authorities add the passage here or after 7:36 or after 21:25 or after Luke 21:38, with variations of text; some mark the passage as doubtful” (NRSV text note k on Jn. 7:53-8:11). According to Donald G. Miller and Bruce M. Metzger, the story of how Jesus dealt with the Woman Caught in Adultery (Jn. 7:53-8:11), though “omitted in many ancient manuscripts, appears to be an authentic incident in Jesus’ ministry, though not belonging originally to John’s Gospel” (NOAB, 2^nd ed., 1994, on Jn. 7:53-8:11). This variation in New Testament manuscripts is understood to mean that the passage, while not a part of the original manuscript of John’s Gospel, describes an authentic event in Jesus’ ministry–he really was confronted by this situation. According to C. K. Barrett, “the story is probably ancient; there is evidence that Papias recorded a story ‘about a woman accused in the Lord’s presence of many sins’” (Peake’s Commentary on the Bible, 1962, reprint 1972, sec. 759d, p. 868, on Jn. 7:53-8:11).

Jesus was teaching in the temple (Jn. 8:2), and “the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’” (vv. 3-5). That she was “caught in the very act” (v. 4) “is significant . . . eyewitnesses were necessary if punishment was to be inflicted” (Barrett, loc. cit.). But the Mosaic Law about adultery calls for the death of both the man and the woman (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22). If the woman is engaged, and both are guilty, they are to be stoned (Deut. 22:23-24). But if he forces her (v. 25), “then only the man who lay with her shall die.” “According to the Mishnah, stoning is the punishment when the woman is betrothed, strangling when she is married” (ibid.).

We are told that they, “the scribes and the Pharisees” (v. 3), “said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him” (v. 6a). Jesus’ first response is to bend down and write with his finger on the ground (v. 6b). “It is fruitless,” says Barrett, “to ask what Jesus wrote on the ground (6); he simply refuses to pass judgment” (ibid.). They persist in their questioning him, but he stands up and says, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (v. 7), then bends down and continues writing (v. 8). After the accusers quietly slink away–that’s the word, isn’t it?–Jesus says, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again” (v. 11). We can be grateful for a Lord who regards sin as a serious matter, but who recognizes the supreme value of persons whom he seeks to redeem. That’s the problem with sin, you know. It injures persons created in God’s image.

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net