Meditations from Isaiah, the Prophet of Light
Meditations from Isaiah, the Prophet of Light.
WANTED: An imaginative scribe who can write exquisite poetry. A faithful believer with chutzpah who can switch from one extreme to another at the Lord’s command… from a sublime vision of God’s glory to a ridiculous demonstration of shameful nakedness; from stubbornly confronting the people over their sinfulness to comforting people with hopefulness; from being an outspoken messenger one minute to a shameless living object lesson the next. Desperately needed is a bold young person with spine who can respond to Yahweh with “Send me! And who thinks about light everywhere he goes.”
An Unforgettable Calling. Isaiah began his ministry as a young man who witnessed a spectacular scene in the Temple. He saw the LORD Yahweh sitting high on His throne, with mighty angels attending Him. The angels were flying as they shouted “Holy, holy, holy, Yahweh-Sabaoth, LORD of the Angel Armies! The whole earth is filled with His glory!” The voices of the angels shook the Temple to its foundations, and the smoke from the LORD’s presence completely filled the building. This dramatic scene of God’s perfection and power left Isaiah shaken to his core. All he could do was acknowledge that he was impure in His presence, and not worthy of this vision. Isaiah thought he was doomed because he saw the Lord in all His glory. Yahweh then announced that He wanted a messenger to approach the people, and He wondered who would go for Him to bring His message. Isaiah immediately responded with his historical line, “Here am I! Send me!” And this was just the beginning for Isaiah.
A Long Obedience. There is no doubt his unforgettable calling from the LORD fueled his life and ministry from beginning to end. His role as prophet lasted anywhere from 40 years to 60 years, depending on the scholar. His ministry spanned the reigns of five kings of Judah. Isaiah remained in and around Jerusalem during that whole time. Much like so many of the other prophets, the people refused to take his words to heart. They wouldn’t listen to Isaiah’s messages from God. He would announce God’s judgment only to be ignored.
Mr. Flexibility. But Isaiah was adaptable. He would both confront the people and comfort the people. Sometimes he was harsh and condemning, and sometimes he was soothing and hopeful. His encouraging words were based on God’s promise of a future Messiah who would redeem and heal them, and save them from permanent judgment. So Isaiah spoke of God’s justice one minute and God’s mercy the next. He spoke more about the coming Messiah than any other prophet in the Hebrew Bible. His poetry painted a picture of both woe and hope, and is probably the finest poet in all of Scripture. Isaiah is often called the Bible’s greatest prophet, since he is quoted over 50 times in the New Testament.
LIGHT. Isaiah seemed to be especially focused on light in his writings… light to represent the presence of God and His glory, light to symbolize the Lord’s salvation and bring divine light and healing to the desperate darkness of the entire world, light to represent spiritual enlightenment and understanding to replace the darkness of ignorance and foolishness, light of hope and restoration in the era of God’s favor. Each of these passages are certainly worthy of a deep dive into what we can learn about light, according to the gospel of Isaiah. “To meditate is to read a text and to learn it ‘by heart’ in the fullest sense of this expression, that is with one’s whole being: with the body since the mouth pronounced it; with the memory which fixes it; with the intelligence which understands its meaning; and with the will which desires to put it into practice.” (Jean Leclerq).
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord Yahweh, to the House of the God of Jacob that He may teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths… House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” (2:3,5);
“Woe to those who call what is evil, good, and what is good, evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who think themselves wise and believe themselves enlightened.” (5:20-21);
“To the word of instruction and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn, they do not see the light of day.” (8:20).
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Light has blazed forth for those who lived in a land of deep shadow dark as death.” (9:1);
“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness, in saving justice; I will grasp you by the hand, I will keep you and shape you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, to free from the prison those who sit in darkness.” (42:6-7);
“I will lead the blind by a road they do not know, by paths they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, and the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do – without fail,, and I will not forsake them.” (42:16);
“I am the Lord Yahweh, and there is no other; there is no other God except Me; I equip you, though you do not know Me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides Me. I form the light and I create the darkness; I make well-being, and I create disaster; I the Lord, do all these things.” (45:7);
“It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I shall make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach to the remotest parts of earth.” (49:6);
“Who among you fears the Lord with reverence and awe, and obeys the voice of his prophet-servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindles his own fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches! Walk by the light of your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled! This you have from my hand: You shall lie down in torment!’ (Isaiah 50:10-11).
“Give attention to Me, My people, and give ear to Me, My nation; for a teaching will go out from Me, and I will make My saving justice a light to the peoples. My righteousness draws near, My salvation has gone out, and My arms will judge the peoples.” (51:4-5);
“Is not this the sort of fast that pleases Me: to break the bonds of injustice, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth,, blazing out like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He shall say, ‘Here I am!’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, the clenched fist, and malicious words, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.” (58:6-10);
“Arise, shine out, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Look! Though the darkness of night still covers the earth and thick darkness the peoples, upon you the Lord is rising and over you His glory can be seen. The nations will come to your light and kings to your dawning brightness. “ (60:1-3);
“You shall call your walls ‘Salvation,’ and your gates ‘Praise.’ The sun shall no more give you daylight nor moonlight shine on you, but the Lord will be your everlasting light, your God will be your glory and splendor. Your sun will set no more, nor will your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.” (60:18-20).
Franz Schubert – Sanctus from German Mass
Isaiah finally walks into the full light of day. For all his trouble, Isaiah died a martyr’s death at the hands of the very wicked king Manasseh. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the last thing Isaiah thought about was the very first thing he saw 40 years ago… The LORD sitting high on His throne, the heavenly angels singing about the His glory, and how he was overwhelmed with the holiness of God. Holy, Holy, Holy.