Promise
for A New Beginning
Introduction:
Numerous Biblical traditions hail God as ruler of Israel.
The author of books of Chronicles refers to the Davidic rule as God’s Reign.
Various Psalms also acclaim God as the one who reigns over all nations. The
enthronement psalms emphasize God’s present sovereignty over all creation, as
well as God’s future coming to judge the earth. Likewise prophets saw God as
ruler over nations. Many prophets looked for the day when God would restore the
fortress of the people of Israel and Judah, and establish an everlasting era of
peace, justice and mercy. Isaiah chapter 11.1-14 is the promise of messiah who
will establish peace on earth. This prophecy relates to the Messiah, the great redemption,
and the glories of the Messiah’s Reign. It arises out of the restoration of
Judah by its deliverance from the captivity of Babylon. In this line prophet
Isaiah joyfully foresees the beginning of a new era of world. What is the
prophet’s promise for the new beginning?
We shall see it under three subheadings. The first is a
promise of a righteous ruler and reign.
Righteous
Reign (Vs 1-5)
In ancient Israel confidence in the reign of a Davidic ruler
in Jerusalem was based on the promise expressed in II Samuel 7 and was
celebrated regularly in worships (Psalms 2, 45, 72, 110). People of Israel
believed that Jerusalem will never be destructed. Likewise they had a strong
faith that Davidic reign will be eternal. Jews strongly believed that there
will be a righteous ruler emerged as Messiah even though the present reigns are
destroyed. Here the promise for a future ruler from the line of David is
expressed metaphorically in typical Hebrew parallelism. Prophet Isaiah
describes the future ruler in terms of his/her character and his/her activities
as a ruler. He saw, the Davidic monarchy as means of implementing Yahweh’s
will, first for Judah, Jerusalem and then for the world as a whole.
Here the ideal ruler establishes power to protect weak.
The power to empower with the spirit of God is evolved in three pairs of gift.
The spirit of wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and the
fear of the Lord are the qualifications of the ideal ruler. The terms in the
pair wisdom and understanding in this context refer to practical wisdom that
enables a ruler to face reality and deal with it fairly including political and
judicial matters. Counsel and might refer to diplomatic military judgment and
authority. Knowledge and fear of the Lord refer to the ideal ruler’s piety. The
ideal ruler is said to strike with the rod of his/her mouth, to slay the wicked
with the breath of his/her lips. So the ruler’s words have the power to
transform. This involves ruler’s administration which concentrates on the
establishment of justice and righteousness. Such establishment of justice involves
the enforcement of sanctions. This is an expectation of balanced society.
Do we move on the way of making balanced society? God’s reign
is righteous and therefore God expects us to make a balanced society.
The second promise is a
Renewed
relationship: (Vs 6-9)
The rule of justice in human society is paralleled by a renewal
in the relationship among animals and between animals and human beings. This is
a model of ecumenical relationship. The principle of non-violent method that is
“live and leave others to live” emerges in futuristic vision. This hope is a
type of positive look. The word pairs predators with prey such as wolf with
lamb, leopard with kid, calf and fatling with the lion expresses about the promise
of a peaceful world. The sentence that “a little child shall lead them” describes
all these creatures in a pastoral scene, being led like a flock and sheep. This
vision of the world over unity of creation has stimulated the human longing for
the peaceable reign. This proclamation of a dramatic renewal of life among all creatures
portrays that natural enemies will live together in peace. This is the vision
of non-violent world, where everyone can live safely anywhere. Domestic animals
will be safe from wild creatures reflects a concern for human security and
peace. This security and peace can be enjoyed only under the ideal ruler. This
is genuinely a pastoral concern for the safety of flocks for the sake of human
kind. Lack of such relationship is due to lack of justice and peace. Isaiah
promises a renewed relationship.
The relationship among justice, mercy and peace in human
society and harmony in the natural order reminds us that if we want peace, work
for justice. This justice should be practiced by each and every person. Then
this non-violent relationship will lead to a renewed relationship between human
beings and the rest of creation.
Violent method is the source of destruction whereas
nonviolent means lead to renew all of relationship. How do we prepare ourselves
to establish renewed ministry? The choice is between violence or non-violence. Non-violence
will renew relationship between all creatures.
The third promise is
Restored Life: (vs. 10-13)
The restoration of Judah from exile has a messianic
dimension. It is a hope for reconciliation of Judah and Israel. This portion is
on the basis of Zion tradition. The writer may have applied the announcement of
salvation in 11: 1-9 to their own time and extended them to fit those
circumstances. In this vision of future, the Lord not only returns the remnant
of Judah and Israel to their land but also gives them political independence
and military power. This could be achieved through the reconciliation of Judah
and Israel. Reconciliation is the beginning of survival. The reconciliation of Judah
and Israel is the new beginning of globalized liberation under the ideal ruler.
It is a matter of survival of whole world. The survival of remnant is good
news. Other scattered Jews will be gathered from all parts of world. It is a
move from death to life and a new nation. The announcement of salvation marks
the move from despair to hope. The nation is not dead but the survivors will re
establish the life sacred in land. It is the restoration of Israel to the
original, and reestablishment of Davidic dynasty. Are we continuing to change
the collapsed structures in the world? Do we have any idea to bring structural
change? Reestablishment should begin from personal to corporate.
Application:
Context of Isaiah was similar to our contemporary
context. The people were suffering because of injustice and turning away from
God. They were expecting a messiah who will provide a righteous reign by
renewing their relationship and restoring them to the original. all this. Today
we see around us social in justice, ecological crisis, religious and social
violence, corruption and nepotism. The message of hope, peace, love and justice
is urgently needed in the world today. Renewal and restoration is the great
challenge for us in our church and society. The church is at the cross roads.
Our decision will decide the future survival. This passage gives courage and
hope to the church to look forward and play a prophetic role.
From this passage let us ask our self, what is our role
towards justice, peace, love and renewal in the world? Do we live our life in a
way that brings structural change? We are responsible for transformation in our
church and society, to do the ministry of reconciliation. We are supposed to be
witnessing Jesus the Christ who reconciled between God and Humanity and Creation.
The change that is promised in this Isaiahnic passage will begin from a slender
twig which may seem insignificant. Yet God is capable of effecting great
renewal out of such small thing.
The prophet describes the destruction of the Assyrian
army under the image of a mighty forest. It consist flourishing trees growing
thick together, and of a great height of Lebanon itself crowned with lofty
cedars, but cut down and laid level with the ground by the axe exercised by the
hand of some powerful and memorable agent. In opposition to this image he
represents the great person who makes the subject of this chapter as a slender
twig shooting out from the trunk of an old tree, cut down, lopped to the very
root, and decayed; which tender plant, so weak in appearance, should
nevertheless become fruitful and prosper.
Conclusion
As the prophet Isaiah proclaim about the righteous reign
of God which gives a joyful hope of peace and security to Israel. Today, we too
ought to do the same and be part of renewed system in church and world. We are
the agents of renewal in the world. Let us not negate our responsibility to
create a peaceful world. God’s promise of blessings and redemption is not only
for Israel but it includes all humanity. Let us therefore, do our best in the
making of new heaven and earth through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us hope that
the Holy Spirit will help us in the process of transformation, new creation and
restoration in our community, church and society.
May God bless us
through this morning message Amen!
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