Epiphany 3 / OT 3
Devotional
Water From the Well
Lectionary Devotional For Cycle A
Object:
But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish....
-- Isaiah 9:1
We often hear this as an Advent passage building up our expectation for the coming birth of Christ. It is perhaps helpful to also reflect on this passage apart from Advent. Isaiah was anticipating God raising up a new king that would restore Israel and take away its shame. The tribal regions of Zebulum and Naphtali and the region of Galilee had been conquered by Tiglath-Pilser in 733 BCE. As was the custom of a conqueror, he had exiled some of the leading citizens of those areas to live elsewhere and transplanted people from other lands to live in that area. The result, through intermarriage, was a mixed population. To the people of Judea, this population was polluted and hopelessly lost in darkness. Now, declared Isaiah, a new transformation was about to take place. "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light...." Like in earlier days when Midian had oppressed Israel (Judges 6:1--8:28) and a judge was raised up to set them free, so Isaiah saw God about to shape historical forces in a way to regain hope and healing for Israel. Even before we read Isaiah's speech about a new king being born (Isaiah 9:6-7), we already hear that God was at work in life's events to shatter people's gloom and enable them to again celebrate the joy intended for their lives. "They rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest." Far too often, we give in to the despair of our situation as if the succession of events is inevitable. It is precisely at such times that we should anticipate a word from God that shatters our darkness.
-- Isaiah 9:1
We often hear this as an Advent passage building up our expectation for the coming birth of Christ. It is perhaps helpful to also reflect on this passage apart from Advent. Isaiah was anticipating God raising up a new king that would restore Israel and take away its shame. The tribal regions of Zebulum and Naphtali and the region of Galilee had been conquered by Tiglath-Pilser in 733 BCE. As was the custom of a conqueror, he had exiled some of the leading citizens of those areas to live elsewhere and transplanted people from other lands to live in that area. The result, through intermarriage, was a mixed population. To the people of Judea, this population was polluted and hopelessly lost in darkness. Now, declared Isaiah, a new transformation was about to take place. "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light...." Like in earlier days when Midian had oppressed Israel (Judges 6:1--8:28) and a judge was raised up to set them free, so Isaiah saw God about to shape historical forces in a way to regain hope and healing for Israel. Even before we read Isaiah's speech about a new king being born (Isaiah 9:6-7), we already hear that God was at work in life's events to shatter people's gloom and enable them to again celebrate the joy intended for their lives. "They rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest." Far too often, we give in to the despair of our situation as if the succession of events is inevitable. It is precisely at such times that we should anticipate a word from God that shatters our darkness.
