Today’s reading from Isaiah 11:1-9 (the Presbyterian reading last Saturday) anticipates a time when a new Davidic king–a "shoot . . . from the stump of Jesse," the "branch . . . out of his roots" (v. 1)–bring righteous justice and equity for “the poor” and “the meek of the earth, but “he shall kill the wicked” (v. 4). He is qualified because:

            The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,

               the spirit of wisdom and understanding,

               the spirit of counsel and might,

               the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. (v. 2)

“To these six ‘Gifts of the Spirit’ the Septuagint adds ‘piety’” (Victor R. Gold and William L. Holladay, NOAB). “The fear of the LORD” (v. 3) may have been understood as “piety.” Paul’s first two pieces of armor, “fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14), remind us of Isaiah’s words in verse seven:

            Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,

               and faithfulness (ʼemunah) the belt around his loins. (Isa. 11:7 NRSV)

The word ʼemunah sometimes means “steadiness” (Ex. 17:12), “reliability” (Dt. 32:4) or “honesty” (Jer. 5:1, 3), and is related to the adjective ʼēmūn, “true, reliable” (William L. Holladay, Lexicon). So Paul may well have had Isaiah 11:7 in mind when he spoke of “the belt of truth around your waist” (Eph. 6:14 NRSV).

When all of these qualities are present, not only in the Messianic King but in his people, when the LORD “will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jer. 31:33; cf. Heb. 8:10), we will see the "peaceable kingdom" in which "the wolf shall live with the lamb" (v. 6). Isaiah puts it this way:

            They will not hurt or destroy

               on all my holy mountain;

            for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD

               as the waters cover the sea. (Isa. 11:9)

These links go to copies of the Quaker painter Edward Hicks’ Peaceable Kingdom paintings: http://www.albrightknox.org/ArtStart/Hicks.html (Albright-Knox Art Gallery)

http://www2.gol.com/users/quakers/Hicks_Peaceable_Kingdom.htm (Friends Journal, February, 2000)

http://www.worcesterart.org/Collection/American/1934.65.html (Worcester Art Museum).

In the reading from Revelation, John sees Satan, “the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan,” bound “for a thousand years” and thrown “into the pit” (Rev. 20:2-3), and the martyrs, “those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God” come to life and reigning “with Christ a thousand years” (v. 4). He calls this “the first resurrection” (v. 5). Satan is then loosed for a final, decisive conflict (vv. 7-10). The victory, similar to Joshua’s victory at Jericho, is won not by the action of people, but rather, “fire came down from heaven and consumed them” (v. 9), that is, Satan and the nations whom he deceives (vv. 7-8). The Presbyterian reading, a step ahead, includes visions of the Great White Throne Judgment (vv,. 11-15) and the New Heaven and New Earth where tears will be wiped away and the water of life will be freely available (21:1-8).

After Jesus heals the lame man at the pool “by the Sheep Gate” called “Bethzatha” (Jn. 5:1-18) he is challenged by those who “were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God” (Jn. 5:18). Jesus describes his relation to God (vv. 19-29), including “identity of his will and actions with the Father’s” (Donald G. Miller and Bruce M. Metzger, on vv. 19-20, NOAB) and the ability of both to give life (vv. 21-22), which includes eternal life (v. 24) and resurrection (vv. 25, 29). Evidence of Jesus’ relation to God (vv. 30-40) includes the testimony of John (vv. 32-35), Jesus works (v. 36), and the scriptures (vv. 39-40). But to those who have challenged him, Jesus says “But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me” (v. 42). He says that their accusation is not from him (v. 45) but from scripture, from Moses (vv. 46-47).

Ronald D. Worden

rdworden@hgst.edu

rworden@houston.rr.com