Please read Isaiah 36-39 and any five chapters of your choice from Isaiah 40-66. Suppose you are asked to help prepare an anthology of great quotations from the ancient world. There are going to be two Isaiah quotes, and you get to pick one of them. Of all of Isaiah's many quotable lines, which would you choose? Why this particular line? Of the lines already suggested by other contributors to this blog (either on this thread or the Isaiah I thread) which of those lines do you think would be the best to have as the second Isaiah quote? Why?
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Isaiah 36-66 (Extra Credit)
Please read Isaiah 36-39 and any five chapters of your choice from Isaiah 40-66. Suppose you are asked to help prepare an anthology of great quotations from the ancient world. There are going to be two Isaiah quotes, and you get to pick one of them. Of all of Isaiah's many quotable lines, which would you choose? Why this particular line? Of the lines already suggested by other contributors to this blog (either on this thread or the Isaiah I thread) which of those lines do you think would be the best to have as the second Isaiah quote? Why?
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Isaiah 59:1, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:" I would choose this quote as a reminder to everyone that no matter what God is still there. He is still listening and He is still saving. A person can feel that they are pulling away from God, but He is not pulling away from them. To go along with in that God will never abandon us; He will always forgive us. As Isaiah 1:18 says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." No matter what we do we will always be forgiven. God stays with us through everything and no matter how many mistakes we make He will always forgive us. He sent His son to die for us, so we can be clean. God will always be with and He will always forgive us.
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 57:1-2, "The righteous perish and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death."
ReplyDeleteThis quote had always triggered something in me. Always left me perplexed, but at peace. While it is not a confusing passage to understand, the meaning behind it is powerful. When I was younger, I did not believe in God. My atheistic mind would constantly question, "Why?" Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why do such innocent people like children have to die is such harsh ways? If God truly existed and was merciful, where is His mercy now when the world needs it? Back then, no one could give me a straight answer, but this passage always stuck out to me as being that answer.
Sure, bad things happen in the world. There are struggles, wars, mistreatment, etc... But God does not forget the righteous. Not only does He not forget, but He offers them peace as well. No one understand death and why some people are taken away, but the idea of God granting peace and rest for those devoted to Him in order to spare them from the evils of the world makes this an act of mercy. God is merciful. He was merciful to His people and He is merciful to us. It's a reassuring thought to keep in mind.
Isaiah 63:8, "The Lord rescued his people, and said, "They are mine. They won't betray me.""
ReplyDeleteI chose this verse because it reminds people that they are special and belong to God. They are different from everyone else because they belong to a higher power. When he says "They won't betray me", he is holding them to a higher standard, which I think can force people to do better and act better when someone expects more from them. When he says "They are mine", it reminds us that we are part of a bigger picture and we are all similar because we all belong to the same person.
I think this verse compliments Kelly's verse (Isaiah 59:1) nicely because there are many times when we feel alone in the world, but it states that the Lord is as powerful as ever and still hears and answers our prayers. So the two verses tell us that God is a constant and we are his, and sets a high standard to stay faithful to him. I think these issues are something people struggle with and it can be inspiring to read the verses.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak. I like this one because it is a powerful message. If you believe you can soar in the sky. You will have the strength to cope with all that comes your way. It is poetic and beautiful. The imagery is one of majesty and belonging. Believe and I will always be there for you. This is a great saying that gives rise to great feelings.
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 59:1 It says that God will be there for you. He will never get weary of hearing you. He will be there for you always. He has a hand reaching out to help you at all times. All you need to do is ask. What more could you want in a God than one who is always by your side, never wavering. I don't want a fickle God. In this passage God proclaims that he is not that kind of God.
Isaiah 41:10, Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
ReplyDeleteThis is a particular passage that is close to my heart, because it was my faith verse in conformation. It really appeals to me because it describes what christianly is about. I think that this is an important quotation because it takes the promises that were made and reinforces them. With this passage you take what the Lord gave Moses, Abraham and all those others. This is the promise of our Lord.
Isaiah 49: 25 "But this is what the Lord says:Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce;I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save."
ReplyDeleteThis is a verse that promises even the mighty fall and even if we ourselves may fall or fail, God's promise extends to our children and to those who come after us. To me this is very comforting.
As to another quote that I find good enough to be used as a second quote I have chosen Isaiah 59:1, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save. neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear"
This second quote also exudes hope in that God reaffirms that he still watches and helps us and not to doubt his works.
Isaiah 53:3-5 He was hated and rejected; his life was filled with sorrow and suffering. No you wanted to look at him. We despised him and said, " He is a nobody" He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment he made us completely well.
ReplyDeleteThis verse I have always like it tells of the crucifixion of Jesus and how he was here to save us from our sins and how he mend the relationship between God and man with this deed of dying.
Isaiah 38:14- "Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me." There were quite a few verses in this chapter I really liked, but this is the one more likely to fit in an anthology for the ancient world.
ReplyDeleteI also liked Lizzie Matson's Isaiah 41:10, "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." To my understanding this really sums up the people of Israel's struggle with obeying and being faithful to God, sometimes they failed, but when they got it right...look out.
Isaiah 42:1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.
ReplyDeleteThis passage would most definitely be my choice because it is pointing to the only hope that the world has. This is referring to the coming of Jesus. I believe that that is by far the most important message that Isaiah brings to the nation of Israel, because judgement can't drown out the hope of a savior.
I also like the Rachel's above (Isaiah 38:14). This gives some beautiful imagery of how Isaiah is feeling.
"I am he, I am the first, I am also the last." I enjoy this line in particular because it puts into perspective Gods' overall power and how omniscient he is. He knows the fate of the world and more importantly the people of Israel. He is using prophets like Isaiah to simply alert the people of their fate. I enjoy Jessica's analysis of Isaiah 57 because it is relatable to today's world. People try really hard today to look pious but it is those who live pious in nature who will die and rest in the love of the Lord.
ReplyDelete40-1 "Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God." I like it because it really does should how merciful God is. Yes he will bring down judgment to his people but he still does have his best interest in his people. It shows the love that he really has for his people and I really like that.
ReplyDeleteI like Mary's passage too. I like it for the same reasons that she did. I also think that it complements my verse very well.
---- Abigail Miiller