I like Isaiah. I like to think about what he's thinking right now, watching people agonize over all his weird imagery. Do you think he's flattered, or annoyed? Maybe he was just crazy and thought his writing made perfect sense. Or maybe he fancied himself an early James Joyce. A really early James Joyce.
yes this is the start of the Isaiah chapters so buckle up kiddos yes
In typical Old Testament fashion, the speaker (God? Yes?) points out that He chose Israel, and revealed all His special secrets to them, and yet they were still stubborn and wicked and worshipped idols. If you read the Old Testament, it feels like those cats did nothing BUT worship idols. How did they have time for repenting or sacrificing small animals or building temples out of tents?
God also chastises them for being hypocritical and bad missionaries. At least that's what I got out of this verse:
6Thou hast seen and heard all this; and will ye not declare them? And that I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.
I'm assuming the latter "know" means "to recognize." God goes on to say that He knew Israel would be a failure from the beginning, which isn't very heartening, but He plans to let them survive so that others will know He can save people from affliction, even if they don't super deserve it.
There's a phrase in here I really like. At the start of verse 16, He says, "Come ye near unto me, I have not spoken in secret." I like how inclusive that sounds. It's a completely different tone from the rest of the chapter. It reminds me of a parent fiercely disciplining a child, then hugging him/her. Not that I approve of that strategy. But if my kid were as naughty as Israel, I would consider it.
The final sentence is a bit ominous: There is no peace unto the wicked. That makes a lot of sense. I think a lot of wicked people can have fun, and enjoy life. But they probably never feel particularly at peace. I'm talking real wickedness here. Not the perceived wickedness of, say, abandoning your scripture study blog for almost a year.
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