Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Isaiah 45-52

These chapters continue the familiar themes of redemption for Israel, but seems to indicate that Israel has abandoned God. God feels separated from Israel, but God can and will save Israel.

Chapter 47 specifically addresses the Babylonians. Part of God's redemption for Israel will include embarrassment of the Babylonians. Given the context of Isaiah taking to Hezekiah after Hezekiah entertained envoys from Babylon, this chapter might give a better contextual understanding to what Hezekiah may have been seeking from the Babylonians. We know from 2 Chronicles that Hezekiah was proud and we inferred his pride affected what he did with the envoys, but it is possible that Hezekiah wanted a peace treaty with the Babylonians rather than relying on God.

Another repeated theme in these chapters of Isaiah is the focusing on idols as material objects that were created by man.

Beyond that, it is difficult to parse out the specifics from these chapters as predictions of future events and when would they align up. For instance, is the redemption of Zion in these chapters a prediction of the ministry of Christ? Or the return from the Babylonian captivity? I don't think the language clearly indicates one way or the other.

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