Envision yourself at a wedding. Someone from the bridal party stands up to give a toast. It starts with beautiful sentiment. They are complimenting the bride and groom and reflecting on their love. You assume this admiration will continue in the speech. But suddenly things turn south. The speaker starts accusing the happy couple of … Continue reading Isaiah 5: A Wedding Song Gone Wrong
Once again, we as the reader experience a sort of whiplash as Isaiah moves abruptly from judgment into hope. "But, in that day" Going back to chapter 3, we are told of a day of judgment coming for Judah. The Day of Yahweh. It is a day filled with judgment on Judah, an undoing of … Continue reading Isaiah 4: The Branch
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. For Judah, it was the sincerest form of rebellion. As we saw in chapter 1, Isaiah cannot help but see Judah in the same light of the infamous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (you can read about them here in Genesis 19). You can picture Isaiah seeing his … Continue reading Isaiah 3: Welcome to New Sodom
The prophets knew their bible well. Much of their imagery comes from borrowed symbols and stories originating in the Torah. As we get to Isaiah chapter 2, we too will need to know the Torah, specifically Genesis here, with great appreciation. Isaiah 2 opens with a vision regarding the "last days". It is important to … Continue reading Isaiah 2: Guns to Garden Tools
Zachariah Zienka 