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Jet Tour of the Bible, Part 3
1. Isaiah: Explain how the Holy One of Israel will purge His people of unholiness and make them fit to participate in His rule according to the book of Isaiah. Isaiah revealed God's plan to judge and to save His people. In judging, God would purge the people of their sin. In saving, God would redeem and cleanse them and bring them into His holy kingdom. The first chapter of the book of Isaiah capsulizes the entire book. In it, the people of Israel are described as rebels (v. 2) and evildoers (v. 4). Yahweh is portrayed as long-suffering and merciful, but He must also punish sin. Sacrifices and empty prayers do not satisfy or impress Yahweh (vv. 11-15); a change of behavior accompanied by a proper heart attitude is what He demands. The people needed to turn from their evil deeds and do good (vv. 16-17). Yahweh graciously said that if the nation would turn back to Him, He would remove their sins and bless them (vv. 18-19). However, if they refused to repent, they would be punished (v. 20). In chapters 2-4, the Israelites' sinful condition is described along with God's promise to bring destruction and punishment so that the people will finally turn to Him in the latter days (2:2). The key verse in this section is 4:4, which states that Yahweh will purge Jerusalem of filth and bloodshed. Chapters 5-12 contain a similar message, but describe in more detail the series of purgings and deliverances that will result in the final restoration of the nation. The theme of judgment is continued in chapters 13-27, which contain oracles against the foreign nations. Isaiah 11:10 mentions that nations will rally to the Root of Jesse, but before this can happen they need to undergo a cleansing process similar to that of Judah. These chapters describe that cleansing process for the nations. Chapters 28-35 contain both announcements of judgment and oracles of salvation. These chapters demonstrate that even though Yahweh has a special relationship with His covenant people, they nevertheless will be purged through punishment, just like the other nations. The message of punishment and restoration is repeated again and again, emphasizing that only a remnant will be delivered (28:5, 16, 23-29; 35:10). Chapters 36-39 form a historical interlude that provides an illustration of the dependence upon Yahweh that would be required by the remnant people. King Hezekiah both positively and negatively exemplified this dependence upon Yahweh. Chapters 40-66 may be divided into three sections (40-48, 49-57, 58-66). Chapters 40-48 offer promise of deliverance from Babylon (39:6) through Yahweh's servant Cyrus (44:28-45:7). During the Babylonian captivity, the Israelites needed Yahweh's assurance that He had not abandoned and annulled His covenant with them. So this section assures Israel that they had been punished sufficiently for their sins (40:2) and that Yahweh was willing (41:8-16) and able (40:12-31) to bring His people back to the promised land. Yahweh contrasted the "former things" (punishment and exile) and the "latter things (deliverance from exile). Yahweh made it very clear that He alone would orchestrate future events to bring about Israel's deliverance rather than their dead idols (48:4-11). Chapters 49-57 describe the restoration of Zion through Yahweh's servant. Since there was no one to lead the nation (51:18), Yahweh must raise up His own servant, before whom will appear a forerunner to announce the coming deliverance. This servant is a suffering servant and will have a major part in the purification of God's people. He will be the long-awaited future deliverer described in chapters 9, 11, and 32 and ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, the Messiah. Isaiah 52:13-53:12 mark the highpoint of Yahweh's plan to purge His people of sin and make them fit to enter His kingdom. Here, the suffering servant of the Lord is likened to a Passover lamb at slaughter (53:7). He goes to His death, to be pierced for the people's transgressions (53:5) His wounds bring healing and peace (53:5), for God has chosen to take our iniquity from His people and lay them on His bent shoulders (53:6). He is cut off from life for the transgression of humanity, though He Himself is completely innocent (53:8, 9). His suffering is that of a guilt offering, spread on the altar. Through it He will bring life to God's people (53:10). He will die, but He will see the result of His suffering and be satisfied. He will carry the iniquities of God's people and thus justify them (53:11), for in His death He will bear their sins (53:12). This section (49-57) closes with a plea to accept Yahweh's salvation and come to Him while He may be found. With the sin issue dealt with once for all, Isaiah described in chapters 58-66 Zion's restoration, during which time the prosperity and glory of Jerusalem will be evident to all. Yahweh will protect His servants (65:13-16) and create new heavens and a new earth (65:17-20), in which there will be peace and safety. 2. Jeremiah: Relate how the book of Jeremiah saw Judah's relationship with the Lord through the Old and New Covenants. Jeremiah's understanding of the Word of God is the thread that wove together his knowledge of God. It permeated his life and speech, for God Himself touched Jeremiah's mouth and said that He had put His words into his mouth (1:9). From then on, God's words were like an unquenchable fire burning within him (20:9). Jeremiah was intently aware of the provisions of the covenant between God and Israel. The covenant bound Israel to God in a special relationship of love, faithfulness, and hope. But the covenant had two sides. Faithfulness to the Lord brought blessing; disobedience brought punishment, destruction, and exile (Deut. 27:14-28:68). Jeremiah called the people to obey the words of the covenant and to turn from idolatry and their unjust treatment of one another (11:6, 7). In Jeremiah 7:1-29, the prophet stands in the gate of the temple in Jerusalem to warn Judah. The people cannot oppress their fellow countrymen, steal, murder, commit perjury, and bow down to idols, and then come to stand before the Lord in His house. The people of Judah had placed their trust in the temple rather than in God (Jer. 7:4). They could not believe there was any real danger since God had made a covenant with Abraham, giving him and his descendants the land forever (Gen. 15:18; 17:7-8). At Sinai, God had made Israel His chosen people (Ex. 19:5-6). He made a covenant with David that his kingdom would be established forever (2 Sam. 7:16). For Judah the temple was a visible reminder of God's presence and protective power. In fact, it had actually become a kind of good luck charm much like the ark of the covenant had in earlier times (1 Sam. 4:3). However, they had forgotten that obedience to the Lord was the condition for remaining in the land and Jeremiah was bringing this to their attention (Jer. 7:2, 5-7). In Jeremiah11:1-17, Jeremiah is sent by the Lord throughout Judah to teach that obedience to the law is vital to the covenant relationship of each generation. A curse was pronounced on all those who failed to observe the covenant while obedience was promised to be rewarded with possession of the land. In Jeremiah 14:19-22, an appeal is made to God, for the sake of His reputation, to keep His covenant. However, in doing so the people were ignoring their duties to God and He responded by saying that even if Moses and Samuel prayed He would not change His mind to punish them (Jer. 15:1). God said that He would restore Israel to the land (Jer. 30:1-4) and cause them to "serve the Lord their God and David their king" (Jer. 30:9), that is the Messiah. The Messiah would be "one of them" (Jer. 30:21) who would serve as a mediator between the people and God. The result would be the renewal of the covenant relationship: "You shall be My people, and I will be your God" (v. 22). This is the traditional covenant formula (cf. Gen. 17:7-8; Ex. 6:7; 19:6; Lev. 26:12; Jer. 7:23; Ezek. 36:28). This renewal of the covenant relationship would not be based upon the old Mosaic covenant, however, but by a new covenant that is announced in 31:31-34. Israel had experienced many covenant renewals throughout her history under Moses (Ex. 34; Deuteronomy), Joshua (Josh. 23-24); Samuel (1 Sam. 12); Hezekiah (2 Chr. 29-31), and Josiah (2 Chr. 34). However, the changes brought about during these times of revival were always overturned by the people's eventual return to their sinful ways. What was needed was not another covenant renewal but an internal transformation of the people based upon God's provision of complete forgiveness. What was needed was a "new covenant" that would change the hearts of the people permanently. In Jeremiah 31:31-34, God declared His intention to establish a new covenant. This new covenant is said to differ from the one made at Mount Sinai which Israel had failed to keep. The new covenant looks forward to a time when God would deal with the inner life of human beings, and with their personal relationship with the Lord. The new covenant will not give people a law written on stone, but will instead transform them from within, inscribing holiness on their hearts and minds. Then, when each individual knows the Lord in a personal and intimate way, and has his sins forgiven, a new day of righteousness will dawn for humanity. 3. Ezekiel: What did the book of Ezekiel teach about the glory of the Lord and what did it teach about its past and future manifestations? Ezekiel was witness to many manifestations of the glory of the Lord. The "glory of God" is the key phrase of Ezekiel. It refers to the light that shone between the cherubim in the holy of holies as the evidence of the presence of God. It is against the backdrop of God's glory that Israel's sins appear most heinous. God's glory was grieved away from the Temple at Jerusalem by the idolatry of the people. God said, " 'So as I live,' declares the Lord God, 'Surely, because you have defiled My sanctuary with all your detestable idols and with all your abominations, therefore I will also withdraw, and My eye will have no pity and I will not spare' " (5:11). In chapter 1 Ezekiel opened with a stunning vision of the heavenly glory. A bright object rushed toward Ezekiel from the north. It was a great platform on wheels, borne by four "living creatures." Seated on a high sapphire throne under a radiant, rainbow-like canopy was a man-like figure, which burned like metal fire. Ezekiel realized that he was seeing the glory of the Lord and fell face down before Him. The book ends with the earthly manifestation of the glory of God (40-48). In between, Ezekiel's visions tell of the departing glory. In chapter 8 Ezekiel was transported in a vision to Jerusalem and he saw four kinds of idolatry which were practiced in the courts of the Lord's house, even to the worshiping of the sun, with their backs to the sanctuary while their faces were to the east. The glory of God which was in the temple (8:4) left the cherubim and went up to the threshold of the temple (9:3). In chapter 10 the glory of God was gradually grieved away from the inner sanctuary by the sin of idolatry, and the brightness filled the court. Then it departed the threshold of the temple and rested over the cherubim (10:18). As the cherubim rose from the earth and stood still at the entrance of the east gate, the glory of God hovered over them (10:19). Then in chapter 11 the glory of God left the temple and remained over the mountain to the east of the city (11:22-23). Thus, gradually, the glory of the Lord left the temple and the holy city. Then captivity came. This was the message of Ezekiel to the nation. Their captivity was a result of their sin, and before they could hope for return to the land they must return to the Lord. This message reached its climax in Ezekiel 18:30-32: " 'Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct,' declares the Lord God. 'Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not be a stumbling block for you. Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies,' declares the Lord God. 'Therefore, repent and live.' " God's judgment on sin was certain and severe. His redemption was equally certain when welcomed by the human heart. Ezekiel's message closed with the promise of future glory. Chapter 37 records the great promise of Israel's hope that God will bring new life to His people, place them in the land as a reunited nation (both Israel and Judah) under the Messianic king and dwell with them in His sanctuary forever. In chapter 39 God promised that He will set His glory among the nations through His judgment of Gog and the restoration of Israel. God will be "sanctified through them in the sight of many nations" (39:27). The closing vision of the temple is also significant. Ezekiel is given a culminating vision of the final, perfect kingdom to be established when God sets His presence among men, and the Spirit is at rest on the whole people. Highlighted in this vision is the temple. After a description of this future temple (40-42) is a description of the glory of the Lord returning to it (43:1-12). With the land purified and the people made holy, the glory returns to Jerusalem and fills the house of the Lord (44:4). God will dwell there with His people forever (43:7) and "the name of the city from that day shall be, 'The Lord is there' " (48:35). 4. The Twelve: How did the Twelve relate the Day of the Lord and Israel's restoration? One of the themes of the Twelve is the Day of Lord. This is a period of time in which God dramatically visits a people to demonstrate that He is in control by bringing wrath and judgment on the wicked and salvation to the righteous. First, a look at the calamitous aspect of the Day of the Lord. The phrase "the day of the Lord" occurs most frequently in Joel and Zephaniah but also occurs in Obadiah, Amos, Zechariah, and Malachi. In Amos (5:18, 20) Israel anticipated that the Day of the Lord would bring blessing, that it would be a day of light. However, Amos announced that because of Israel's great evil God's coming would be a day of calamity, a day of darkness. Joel depicted it as a day of clouds and thick darkness (Joel 2:2). Zephaniah provided a vivid description mixed with metaphor: "A day of wrath is that day, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of trumpet and battle cry . . ." (Zeph. 1:15-16a). Joel described that day as "destruction from the Almighty" (Joel 1:15b). The destruction comes in the form of drought (1:4-12) and fires (1:19-20) which is followed by a call to fast (1:13-14; 2:12). Amos depicted a day of darkness for Israel on account of their failure to do justice ( Amos 5:7, 10-12) and their devotion to false Gods (5:25-27). Zephaniah announced that great distress would come upon the people and nothing--neither silver nor gold--would be able to save them (Zeph. 1:17-18). This is because the people had been violent and deceitful (1:9, 17). Other nations are also said to be dealt with during the Day of the Lord because of their treatment of Israel (Tyre, Sidon, Philistia, Egypt, and Edom in Joel; Gaza, Moab, Ethiopia, and Assyria in Zephaniah) but the focus is on Israel themselves. A second aspect of the Day of the Lord is that of salvation. Joel said that "in that day the mountains will drip with sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water; and a spring will go out from the house of the Lord to water the valley of Shittim" (Joel 3:18). God calls upon Israel to repent with fasting, weeping, and mourning (2:12) and He will deliver them (2:18-27). When Israel turns to the Lord, He will reverse the drought and disaster (2:19) which drove them to their knees and remove the enemy (2:20). God's saving activity will include the outpouring of His Spirit on all mankind (2:28) and deliver all who call upon Him (2:32). Zephaniah declared that God will save a remnant (Zeph. 2:7; 3:12-13, 20) and "will care for them and restore their fortune" (Zeph. 2:7). He will take away the judgments and clear away their enemies (3:15). Hosea declared a great promise of restoration (Hos. 14) of Israel following judgment (13). Upon their return to the Lord (14:1-3), He promised to heal their apostasy and turn away His anger (14:4). Israel will be blessed by God and live in His presence (14:5-7). Amos predicted that God would "raise up the fallen booth of David" (Amos 9:11a) which is a reference to the dynasty of David and the Messianic Kingdom. Amos also predicted the restoration of the people of Israel in the land never to be uprooted from it again (9:14-15). Micah announced that after the judgment on Israel which would include the razing of Jerusalem and the temple (Micah 3:12) God would restore the holy city (4:1-2). God promised to redeem His remnant from Babylon (4:10) and bring forth the Messianic King who will be their peace (5:2-5a). Zechariah pictured a day of national conversion when the people of Jerusalem, responding to God's outpouring of grace, will receive their Messiah (12:10-12) and be cleansed from sin and impurity (13:1). The false prophets and deceitful leaders will be rejected (13:2-6) and when the nations gather against Jerusalem, God Himself will intervene and fight for His people (14:1-8). Then the Lord will be King over all the earth and all the nations will go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord and the city will be holy to the Lord (14:9-21). The Day of the Lord is a time of God's vindication. God will overcome evil and judge evil-doers. However, He will also be faithful to His covenant people by preserving a remnant that He will save and bless forever. Jet Tour of the Bible, Part 4.
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