Lessons from Third Isaiah

Third Isaiah, (which/who represents chapters 55-66) is a phenomenal bit of Scripture. We were studying passages from Third Isaiah this afternoon in Hebrew class; and what I am so excited about is the way that these passages relate with, expand and re-interpret other parts of the Bible.

Take Isaiah 56:1-8 - one of my favourite texts. The eunuchs and the children of foreigners are clearly invited into the covenant people. Not only that - they're invited into the Temple. Not only that - they're invited to serve in the Temple, like the Levites do. That service or ministry that they are called to join in on, it's from the same root as the Levites.

This is pretty deep stuff, because Deuteronomy 23 clearly says that eunuchs and foreigners are excluded from the Temple, and they're clearly excluded from Levitical (priestly) service.

But here's third Isaiah, opening it all up. Other folks disagree, my prof notes, for example that in Ezekiel 40-48 there's a denouncement of foreigners serving among the Levites; in fact, those particular texts emphasize that only Levites should serve - in fact, only Zadokites should serve, a particular clan within a particular tribe. There's a discussion going on here - who is in and who is out?

And Jesus takes up the refrain from Third Isaiah- "my house shall be a house for prayer for all peoples" - remember that? from, um, the Temple clearing bonanza? Jesus takes the line of opening it up.

Fascinating.

These days, when we're in tense discussions in the church, it's helpful to remember that these discussions exist in the Bible too. The Bible is constantly in conversation with itself; shifting and adapting a position from here to there. That's one reason why it's so dangerous to take one singular text and from that say, "The Bible clearly says...." without having a larger canonical read on the question. What's the larger trajectory that the passage comes in? And if it can be discerned, we need to ask where Jesus lands on the question...

Well, that's your Hebrew lesson for today, boys and girls. :)