The redeemer

September 28, 2016

Judgment (Isa 59:18-59:20)

“According to their deeds,

So will he repay.

Wrath will come to his adversaries.

Requital will come to his enemies.

To the coastlands,

He will render requital.

Thus those in the west

Shall fear the name of Yahweh.

Those in the east,

His glory will come.

He will come

Like a rushing pent up stream.

The wind of Yahweh will drive it.

He will come to Zion as a Redeemer

To those in Jacob,

Who turn from transgression.

Says Yahweh.”

The judgment of Yahweh is coming. Yahweh will repay people according to their deeds. He will bring wrath to his enemies and adversaries, particularly the coastlands of the Mediterranean area. The people in the west will fear the Lord. Those in the east will see his glory. Yahweh will come like a windy pent up storm. Yahweh will come to Mount Zion as the redeemer for those Israelites who turn away from their transgressions.

September 23, 2016

The love of Yahweh (Isa 54:7-54:8)

“‘For a brief moment,

I abandoned you.

But with great compassion,

I will gather you.

In overflowing wrath,

For a moment,

I hid my face from you.

But with everlasting love,

I will have compassion on you.’

Says Yahweh,

Your Redeemer.”

Second Isaiah shows that God did abandon Israel for a brief moment due to his overflowing wrath. However, Yahweh, the Redeemer, will now gather them back together. Although he had hid his face from Israel, he still had an everlasting love and compassion for them.

September 12, 2016

The Israelite captives will be set free (Isa 49:24-49:26)

“Can the prey be taken from the mighty?

Can the captives of a tyrant be rescued?

But thus says Yahweh.

‘Even the captives of the mighty

Shall be taken.

The prey of the tyrant

Shall be rescued.

I will contend with those

Who contend with you.

I will save your children.

I will make your oppressors

Eat their own flesh.

They shall be drunk

With their own blood

As with wine.

Then all flesh shall know

That I am Yahweh!

Your Savior!

Your Redeemer!

The Mighty One of Jacob!’”

Second Isaiah has Yahweh proclaim that the mighty ones and the tyrants will lose their prey and their captured ones. He was going to take on those who had caused problems for the Israelites. He was going to save their children. In colorful language, he explained what he was going to do to these oppressors. They would eat their own flesh and drink their own blood as if they were drunkards drinking wine. Everyone would then know the great Yahweh with his many titles. He was clearly the savior, the redeemer, and the mighty one of Jacob.

September 11, 2016

The future glory of Israel despite its past (Isa 49:7-49:7)

“Thus says Yahweh!

The Redeemer of Israel!

His Holy One!

He says to one deeply despised,

One abhorred by the nations,

The slave of rulers.

‘Kings shall see.

Kings shall stand up.

Princes shall prostrate themselves.

They will do this

Because of Yahweh.

He is faithful.

The Holy One of Israel

Has chosen you.’”

Second Isaiah continues to use a variety of names for Yahweh, the Lord, like the Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel. Yahweh was trying to reassure Israel that despite being deeply despised by other countries, abhorred by many nations, and the slaves of rulers, there would be a turnabout. Kings would see them and stand up for them. Princes would bow down before them. They are going to do this because Yahweh, the faithful holy one, has chosen them.

September 11, 2016

What Yahweh would have done for Israel (Isa 48:17-48:19)

“Thus says Yahweh!

Your Redeemer!

The Holy One of Israel!

‘I am Yahweh your God!

I teach you for your own good.

I lead you in the way you should go.

O that you had paid attention

To my commandments!

Then your prosperity would have been

Like a river.

Your success would have been

Like the waves of the sea.

Your offspring would have been

Like the sand.

Your descendants would have been

Like its grains.

Their name would never be cut off.

They would never have been destroyed

From before me.’”

Second Isaiah explains what Yahweh would have done had the Israelites followed his commandments. Yahweh said that he was the redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, their God. He had taught them how to live on the right path by following his commandments. However, they did not pay attention to him. They could have had prosperity and success like the rivers and the sea waves. They could have had offspring and descendants like the many grains of sand. They would have never been cut off or destroyed if they had only followed Yahweh’s teaching commands.

September 5, 2016

The destruction of Babylon (Isa 43:14-43:15)

“Thus says Yahweh!

Your Redeemer!

The Holy One of Israel!

‘For your sake,

I will send to Babylon.

I will break down all the bars.

The shouting of the Chaldeans

Will be turned to lamentation.

I am Yahweh!

Your Holy One!

The Creator of Israel!

Your King.’”

In this short passage about the destruction of Babylon, Second Isaiah has this oracle of Yahweh refer to Yahweh as the Redeemer, the King, and the Creator, as well as the Holy One of Israel. Yahweh was going to destroy Babylon along with the shouting of the southern Babylonians, the Chaldeans. They will lament, because he was Yahweh, the holy creator king of Israel.

September 2, 2016

Yahweh the Redeemer (Isa 41:14-41:16)

“‘Do not fear!

You worm Jacob!

You insects of Israel!

I will help you!’

Says Yahweh.

Your Redeemer!

The Holy One of Israel!

‘Now I will make of you

A threshing sledge,

Sharp,

New,

Having teeth.

You shall thresh the mountains.

You shall crush them.

You shall make the hills

Like chaff.

You shall winnow them.

The wind shall carry them away.

The tempest shall scatter them.

You shall rejoice in Yahweh!

You shall glory in the Holy One of Israel!’”

Once again, Yahweh assumes the first person singular in Second Isaiah. He seems a little derogatory at first calling the Israelites the worm Jacob and the insect Israel. However, it is clear that he is here to help. He was going to be the Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel, no questions asked. He was going to make the Israelites strong, new, and sharp. They would be a teeth threshing sledge to beat up the crop. Instead of crops, they would go out and crush the mountains and the hills until they become like useless chaff. In other words they were to winnow or separate the grain from the chaff. Then they were to let the wind and the storms carry this chaff away and scatter it. They were to rejoice and glory in Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel.

July 12, 2015

The redeemer (Job 19:25-19:27)

“I know that my redeemer lives.

Then at the last he will stand upon the earth.

After my skin has been thus destroyed,

Then in my flesh I shall see God.

I shall see him on my side.

My eyes shall behold.

Not another shall behold.

My heart faints within me!”

This passage has a different translation in the Greek, Syriac, and Latin. It is often referred to as a precursor of Jesus the redeemer, or the Messianic savior who came to earth. Redeemer could also mean defender or vindicator. The Hebrew word of ‘goel’ or redeemer means a member of the family who avenged your honor, despite debts. Job believed that someone would help him. Whether this is God or not is not clear. However, even more controversial is the idea that his flesh will see God after his skin has been destroyed. Is this a hint at a resurrection, since throughout this work he talked about Sheol as a dead end place? His eyes will see even though he was faint.