Essay on "Isaiah Delivered the Jubilee Message"

Essay 10 pages (3410 words) Sources: 10

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Isaiah delivered the Jubilee message to the people of God who are now free from captivity, restored, and exalted, culminated in the message of Jesus. This message, delivered in Isaiah 61:1-11, gives hope to the oppressed, images of a new land, and a song of rejoicing for those that have been in exile. Throughout the text, Isaiah draws upon the message to communicate the hope, justice, and love of God to God's chosen people.

"The book of Isaiah, according to most scholars, is rooted in the actual prophetic personality, Isaiah, 'son of Amoz,' whose conventional dates for life in Jerusalem are perhaps 742 to 689 B.C.E."

Isaiah is one of the largest, and is a vitally important text in the canon. Isaiah is referenced in Hebrews 11:37 as being sawn in two in Manasseh's day. Connecting this to the time of King Uzziah's death and knowing that his ministry extended through the reign of Hezekiah, it can be understood that his ministry was over an extended period of time. "Thus Isaiah's ministry extended over a period of at least forty years (740-701), and possibly more, since Hezekiah's death did not occur until 687 and it is doubtful that the coregent Manasseh would have dared to martyr Isaiah while Hezekiah was still alive."

While this is generally accepted, certainty of actual dates is a question, but the date range is founded in sincere historicity. Consistent with other prophets, the first chapter gives the context and authorship, "1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." (Isaiah 1:1). Isaiah's primary audience was the people of Judah where were not liv

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ing according to the laws of God. Even within this context, he prophesied against Israel and the surrounding nations as well. Isaiah was passionately involved in the political and social systems of his day and appears to have been within the noble lines, either priestly or politically. "The book of Isaiah, in its turn, is a meditation, albeit in complex configuration, about the destiny of Jerusalem into the crises of exile and the promise of Jerusalem out of exile into new well-being."

Written against a backdrop of political unrest and upheaval, as the Assyrian Empire was expanding to the demeaning of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Judah was in trouble as well, but as history will reveal, it does not suffer until Babylonian captivity some time later. "Isaiah's theology demanded that Israel and Judah place their trust only in God and not in foreign powers…the beautiful visions of Immanuel that fill chapters 7, 9 and 11 came about because Isaiah tried to show Judah's kings that God would stand by them if they remained faithful…"

As a citizen of Jerusalem, Isaiah made special use of language, poetry and literary metaphor to communicate his message. This message goes along with Isaiah's mission. "Isaiah could not accept politics as a solution, since politics itself, with its arrogance and disregard of justice, was a problem…politics is based on the power of the sword. But Isaiah was waiting for a day when nations 'shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks."

For this mission, a right theology or a right doctrine is presented. Isaiah's mission and message are ultimately for repentance but also to communicate the coming of Immanuel. Finally the recurring theme of the day of the Lord marks a close connection with judgment. Ultimately though in that judgment will come a hope for the nations. "His words contain that rare mix of ethical insight, realistic warning of disaster, and long-range hopefulness that mark his as the most profound vision of the Old Testament."

He is the one that gives us a clearer glimpse or vision of the suffering servant who will be revealed in the personification of Jesus the Christ, as witnessed in the passage of Isaiah 61:1-11.

Isaiah 61:1-3

Isaiah was the prophet authorized to proclaim liberty to the Jews in Babylon, just as Jesus was sent to proclaim the Year of Jubilee. Isaiah states that, "The spirit of the Lord God is upon me…" in V.1. As part of the sabbatical law of Leviticus the prophet draws upon the law to deliver this message of hope to the once captive People of God, which will later be the passage referred to as Jesus reads the scroll in the temple in Luke chapter four. The understanding of this passage cannot be realized until the Levitical Law is understood, as well as its New Testament context. "Without understanding the language and symbols of Leviticus, how can one fully understand the deepest meaning of the New Testament."

Achtemeier, Green, and Thompson, allude that Jesus' ministry is connected to this Levitical teaching in that he heals the sick, calls for the release of the prisoner and the indebted, and offers the forgiveness of sin.

It points to the nature of the gospel message. This is also evident in the second part of the first verse of the chapter when Isaiah states, "…he has sent me to bring good news…" V.1b. In Jesus' first sermon as recorded in the Gospel of Luke 4:14ff, he is handed a scroll from the prophet Isaiah, and pronounces the Year of Jubilee. "Drawing on Isa. 61:1-2/58:6, Jesus interprets his ministry as the fulfillment of the eschatological Jubilee (see Leviticus 25), a dramatic cipher for the age of salvation, marked above by the ministry of 'release'.

Jesus, the high priest, to whom the Levitical Code of Holiness applies, preserves the teaching of the Jubilee, and calls upon the assembled, 'torah-observant Jews,' to recognize the lack of fulfillment of this law. These laws and commands teach us to protect the poor, and to protect the wealthy in order that both groups of people rely on YHWH to be their provision. Isaiah calls upon the Year of Jubilee in V. 2 as he states, "To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." This same message is delivered in the initial message of Jesus. As revealed by Jesus the Christ, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19), to proclaim the Year of Jubilee!

The sabbatical year encouraged the Israelites to trust in God for the provisions needed for daily life. The Year of Jubilee added a second year following a sabbatical year to enhance this understanding of trust. "The name "Jubilee" is an Anglicized transliteration of the Hebrew word yobel (v. 10), which translates both as 'ram' and as 'ram's horn,' the sound of which proclaims the start of the Jubilee Year."

This would happen on the seventh month on the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement is also referred to as Yom Kippur, which is in the tenth month that presently falls between Mid-September and Mid-October. Ordinances regarding the Day of Atonement are found in Leviticus Chapter 16. Atonement gave the Israelites a renewal, and a chance to trust in the Lord for their provision. As V. 3 states, "To provide for those who mourn in Zion." Atonement combined with Jubilee gave the Israelites renewal and a new beginning. R. Laird Harris understands this to be quintessential for, "Otherwise many a hard-hearted, rich Israelite would have refused the obligation so the release,"

both of prisoner and of land. Following the day of contrition, the intention is a rich Israelite is more likely to follow the command as it relates to the entire populous of people. In doing so, it is easy for the people to be called, "Oaks of Righteousness," as the prophet calls out in V. 3.

Isaiah 61:4-9

The Jews, who had been in captivity, are now free, and given a new hope of promises of a new land and a new future in the Kingdom of God, just like followers of Christ are given in the inaugural message of the Messiah. If one follows the Law, the only thing one would be in prison for is debt. This is the day when the doors to the prison would be open and all the inhabitants would return to their property and return to their family. "To proclaim liberty (v.10) for the slaves was characteristic of every sabbatical year. The return to the family homestead was a special feature of the Jubilee."

Since the land also reverts back to its original owner, this is good news for the poor, sick, and oppressed, since land was taken or indebted to those who had fallen upon such times. Their property and freedom (these same people were the ones enslaved) was returned. The Jubilee, not only reminds the people that the land belongs to God, but also prevents the wealthy from accumulating large sections of land. "Thus it… READ MORE

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Quoted Instructions for "Isaiah Delivered the Jubilee Message" Assignment:

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The exposition paper is more of a research paper than a sermon, Bible study, or devotional study of your passage. The body of the paper should carefully develop the meaning and message of the passage, with discussion of the interpretive issues that most directly impact understanding of the passage. Like all formal writing, it should be written in the third-person. You should avoid including illustrations and applications (except in the final section).

The paper should also reflect good research, with your sources coming from good reference commentaries, journal articles, and other sources appropriate for graduate level work in biblical studies. You should avoid popular level commentaries and devotional studies of your passage. The level and quality of research will be a major determining factor in the grading of this assignment.

Here are the basic steps to follow in doing your exposition:

1. Read through your assigned passage several times: The place to begin your study is reading through the text on your own and immersing yourself in the passage before turning to other sources. It will be helpful if you can read through the passage in at least 2-3 different versions. Often, the places in the text where the translations vary the most are where you want to concentrate your attention when attempting to resolve major interpretive issues. If you have knowledge of Hebrew, then consult the original text as you are doing your initial reading.

2. Construct a synthetic summary statement and outline for the entire passage (1 page single-spaced). A good way to begin your outline is to go through every verse and write a summary statement of what each individual verse is saying. If there are figures of speech in the passage, be interpretive in summarizing what they mean. For example, a summary statement for Isaiah 1:21 would not be: *****Lady Jeru*****has become a prostitute because of her violence and injustice,***** but rather: *****The people of Jeru*****have been unfaithful to the Lord by practicing violence and injustice.*****

After you have summarized each verse, then group the verses that fit together in thought units and reflect the major sections of the verse. Your summary statement for each section of the passage will then become the main points of your outline. Like with the individual verse summaries, these main points should interpret the figures of speech and reflect your understanding of the unit as a whole. Your sub-points will then come from the smaller units or verses within this larger section.

Remember that this is an expositional outline, not a sermonic or homiletical outline. You should leave this in the third person, rather than in first or second person. The main points should be a summary of the content of the passage itself, not an application to a contemporary audience. Also, keep the basic rules of outlining in mind. If you have a point I, then you must have at least a point II; if you have a point A, you must have a point B. You should have the outline broken down to at least two levels for the entire passage

I*****first level

A.*****second level

B.*****second level

II.*****first level

You can break the passage down further if you feel the need to or the passage demands it.

Once you have written your outline, you are to write a one-sentence summary statement that summarizes the message of your passage as a whole (this sentence should be comprehensive but should not be more than 25 words in length).

Your outline is a very important component in the exposition process. If you do your outline carefully, you will have determined the basic structure of the passage and the flow of thought and argument in the passage. You will be well on your way to understanding the argument/message of the passage.

3. Develop the Exposition of the Paper (8-9 pages double-spaced): The exposition of the paper is the main body of the paper in which you will trace and develop the argument and message of the passage you are studying. You will obviously need to be succinct in presenting the argument of the passage in the above page length, so it is important that you carefully determining what is most important in explaining the meaning of your passage. This needs to be your work and reflect your development and understanding of the passage. Be careful of long and lengthy quotations from other sources that are only filler*****I want to see your work and how you have developed the passage. It is perfectly acceptable to use quotes, but make sure that there is a specific reason for the quotes that you use. When referencing Scripture passages, it is best to cite the reference without quoting in full unless there is part of the passage that needs to be seen for your paper to make sense. Except when referencing some key wording or phrasing, it will generally not be necessary to quote the passage that is the focus of your study.

You should begin with an introduction that orients the reader to the message of your passage, that connects your passage to the larger surrounding context, and that briefly identifies and explains the genre (literary form) of your passage.

The main points of your expositional outline will become the main headings for your exposition. You should give a summary of what the section is saying and then work your way through the passage by commenting on the most important issues for the interpretation of that section. Comment on how each section relates to what has preceded in the passage.

For each section of the passage, focus on the most interpretive issues in the text. You may choose to focus on the meaning of an important or disputed word(s), some of the key figures of speech, and/or a theological or interpretive problem raised in the text. You will need to be selective in choosing what to discuss, because you obviously cannot discuss every issue or problem. If there is a discussion that interrupts the flow of your exposition because of its length, you may want to move some of the discussion to a footnote at the bottom of the page.

If you raise an issue or an interpretive option, you need to provide some type of resolution to the issue. Be careful to validate your interpretive choices, that is, present the arguments or evidence in favor of your interpretation. Good validation is not simply citing a commentary (the commentary may be wrong!). Good validation involves showing from the details from the text, from parallel Scripture references, or from related outside evidence why your interpretation is correct. You will be graded down if you make assertions without providing proof for your conclusions.

4. Summarize the theological contribution of the passage and briefly discuss 2-3 key application principles (1-2 pages double-spaced): In this section, you will want to discuss the key ideas that the passage presents about God (his person, character, and the way that he relates to people and his creation) and/or how this passage fits into the theological message of the Bible as a whole. You should also discuss two or three key application principles*****these are the timeless principles for godly living that can be derived from the text. Again, you will need to stay focused and specific.

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