Isaiah 4

Below you find the handout from the last class. Here is the link to the audio. If you are having trouble with the link, try to right click it and select "save target as...," if you are using Internet Explorer; or choose "save link as..." if you are using Firefox. Then save the file and try to open it after you save it.

Servant Passages in the Old Testament

The Servant in the Old Testament (A selection of passages):

Compiled by Fr. Jake Runyon using Bibleworks.

The Servant as:

• The People:
  

^NAB Genesis 26:24 The same night the LORD appeared to him and said: "I am the God of your father Abraham. You have no need to fear, since I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."

^NAB Leviticus 25:42 Since those whom I brought out of the land of Egypt are servants of mine, they shall not be sold as slaves to any man.

^NAB Deuteronomy 32:36 Surely, the LORD shall do justice for his people; on his servants he shall have pity. When he sees their strength failing, and their protected and unprotected alike disappearing,

^NAB Psalm 34:23 The LORD redeems loyal servants; no one is condemned whose refuge is God.

^NAB 1 Kings 8:23 he said, "LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep your covenant of kindness with your servants who are faithful to you with their whole heart.

^NAB Psalm 90:13 Relent, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants!

^NAB Psalm 136:22 A heritage for Israel, God's servant, God's love endures forever.

• The Prophets:
  

^NAB 2 Kings 9:7 You shall destroy the house of Ahab your master; thus will I avenge the blood of my servants the prophets, and the blood of all the other servants of the LORD shed by Jezebel,

^NAB 2 Kings 17:13 And though the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and seer, "Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes, in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers and which I sent you by my servants the prophets,"

^NAB Jeremiah 7:25 From the day that your fathers left the land of Egypt even to this day, I have sent you untiringly all my servants the prophets.

^NAB Jeremiah 26:5 and not listening to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send you constantly though you do not obey them

^NAB Jeremiah 29:19 For they did not listen to my words, says the LORD, though I kept sending them my servants the prophets, only to have them go unheeded, says the LORD.

^NAB Jeremiah 35:15 I kept sending you all my servants the prophets, telling you to turn back, all of you, from your evil way; to reform your conduct, and not follow strange gods or serve them, if you would remain on the land which I gave you and your fathers; but you did not heed me or obey me.

^NAB Ezekiel 38:17 Thus says the Lord GOD: It is of you that I spoke in ancient times through my servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days that I would bring you against them.

^NAB Zechariah 1:6 But my words and my decrees, which I entrusted to my servants the prophets, did not these overtake your fathers? Then they repented and admitted: "The LORD of hosts has treated us according to our ways and deeds, just as he had determined he would."

^NAB Amos 3:7 Indeed, the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets.

^NAB Daniel 9:10 and paid no heed to your command, O LORD, our God, to live by the law you gave us through your servants the prophets.

• Specific People:
  

^NAB Exodus 32:13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.'"

^NAB Deuteronomy 9:27 Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Look not upon the stubbornness of this people nor upon their wickedness and sin,

^NAB Genesis 26:24 The same night the LORD appeared to him and said: "I am the God of your father Abraham. You have no need to fear, since I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."

^NAB Psalm 105:6 You descendants of Abraham his servant, offspring of Jacob the chosen one!

^NAB Genesis 24:14 if I say to a girl, 'Please lower your jug, that I may drink,' and she answers, 'Take a drink, and let me give water to your camels, too,' let her be the one whom you have decided upon for your servant Isaac. In this way I shall know that you have dealt graciously with my master."

^NAB Ezekiel 28:25 Thus says the Lord GOD: When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, then I will manifest my holiness through them in the sight of the nations. Then they shall live on their land which I gave to my servant Jacob;

^NAB Exodus 14:31 and beheld the great power that the LORD had shown against the Egyptians, they feared the LORD and believed in him and in his servant Moses.

^NAB Joshua 18:7 For the Levites have no share among you, because the priesthood of the LORD is their heritage; while Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have already received the heritage east of the Jordan which Moses, the servant of the LORD, gave them."

^NAB Joshua 24:29 After these events, Joshua, son of Nun, servant of the LORD, died at the age of a hundred and ten.

^NAB Numbers 14:24 But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me unreservedly, I will bring him into the land where he has just been, and his descendants shall possess it.

^NAB Job 1:8 And the LORD said to Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job, and that there is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil?"

^NAB 2 Samuel 3:18 Now take action, for the LORD has said of David, 'By my servant David I will save my people Israel from the grasp of the Philistines and from the grasp of all their enemies.'"

^NAB 2 Samuel 7:5 "Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Should you build me a house to dwell in?

^NAB 2 Chronicles 32:16 His officials said still more against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah,

^NAB Isaiah 20:3 Then the LORD said: Just as my servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and portent against Egypt and Ethiopia,

• Use in Isaiah:
  

Isa 20:3; 22:20; 24:2; 37:35; 41:8f; 42:1, 19; 44:1f, 21; 45:4; 48:20; 49:3, 5f; 52:13; 53:11; 63:11

^NAB Isaiah 20:3 Then the LORD said: Just as my servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and portent against Egypt and Ethiopia,

^NAB Isaiah 22:20 On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;

^NAB Isaiah 37:35 I will shield and save this city for my own sake, and for the sake of my servant David.

^NAB Isaiah 41:8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, offspring of Abraham my friend--

⁹ You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and summoned from its far-off places, You whom I have called my servant, whom I have chosen and will not cast off--

^NAB Isaiah 44:1 Hear then, O Jacob, my servant, Israel, whom I have chosen.

² Thus says the LORD who made you, your help, who formed you from the womb: Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, the darling whom I have chosen.

²¹ Remember this, O Jacob, you, O Israel, who are my servant! I formed you to be a servant to me; O Israel, by me you shall never be forgotten:

^NAB Isaiah 45:4 For the sake of Jacob, my servant, of Israel my chosen one, I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not.

^NAB Isaiah 48:20 Go forth from Babylon, flee from Chaldea! With shouts of joy proclaim this, make it known; Publish it to the ends of the earth, and say, "The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.

^NAB Isaiah 63:11 Then they remembered the days of old and Moses, his servant; Where is he who brought up out of the sea the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who put his holy spirit in their midst;

• Servant passages:
  

^NAB Isaiah 42:1-4 Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, Upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, ² Not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. ³ A bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, ⁴ Until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

^NAB Isaiah 49:1-6 Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples. The LORD called me from birth, from my mother's womb he gave me my name. ² He made of me a sharp-edged sword and concealed me in the shadow of his arm. He made me a polished arrow, in his quiver he hid me. ³ You are my servant, he said to me, Israel, through whom I show my glory. ⁴ Though I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength, Yet my reward is with the LORD, my recompense is with my God. ⁵ For now the LORD has spoken who formed me as his servant from the womb, That Jacob may be brought back to him and Israel gathered to him; And I am made glorious in the sight of the LORD, and my God is now my strength! ⁶ It is too little, he says, for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and restore the survivors of Israel; I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.

Isaiah 50:4-9
⁴ The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue, That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear; ⁵ And I have not rebelled, have not turned back. ⁶ I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; My face I did not shield from buffets and spitting. ⁷ The Lord GOD is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame. ⁸ He is near who upholds my right; if anyone wishes to oppose me, let us appear together. Who disputes my right? Let him confront me. ⁹ See, the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong? Lo, they will all wear out like cloth, the moth will eat them up.

Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12
¹³ See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. ¹⁴ Even as many were amazed at him-- so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance beyond that of mortals-- ¹⁵ So shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; For those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it. ^NAB Isaiah 53:1 Who would believe what we have heard? To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? ² He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. ³ He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, One of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. ⁴ Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, While we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. ⁶ We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; But the LORD laid upon him the guilt of us all. ⁷ Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; Like a lamb led to the slaughter or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth. ⁸ Oppressed and condemned, he was taken away, and who would have thought any more of his destiny? When he was cut off from the land of the living, and smitten for the sin of his people, ⁹ A grave was assigned him among the wicked and a burial place with evildoers, Though he had done no wrong nor spoken any falsehood. ¹⁰ (But the LORD was pleased to crush him in infirmity.) If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he shall see his descendants in a long life, and the will of the LORD shall be accomplished through him. ¹¹ Because of his affliction he shall see the light in fullness of days; Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear. ¹² Therefore I will give him his portion among the great, and he shall divide the spoils with the mighty, Because he surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked; And he shall take away the sins of many, and win pardon for their offenses.

 

 

 

Isaiah 3

This past week we discussed a few passages from Isaiah, namely chapter 1,2 and 7. Also, I handed out some outlines for the structure of Isaiah. If anyone is interested in one of these outlines, let me know and I can make you a copy.

As always, here is the audio from last week's class. God bless.
Next week we will discuss the suffering servant.

Here is an excellent Bible timeline:

Bible history timeline

By George Konig and Ray Konig
www.konig.org

Below is a list of some historical events that are important to the study of the Bible and its prophecies. The research for this Biblical history timeline was done by George Konig and Ray Konig, authors of the book, 100 Prophecies. Scholars vary in the dates that they assign to ancient events. The dates shown below are approximations.

2100 BC (about 4100 years ago)
God promises Abraham many descendants
Abraham lived around 2100 BC in what is now Iraq. God told him to move to Canaan, which later became Israel. Unlike many people, Abraham believed in the one true God. God rewarded Abraham's faith, making him the father of a great nation (Israel), and an ancestor to the Messiah (Jesus Christ).

2000 BC (about 4000 years ago)
Jacob (Israel) is born
Jacob, the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, is born in Canaan. Jacob's name is changed to Israel. (Canaan is later renamed Israel, after Jacob). He has 12 sons, for whom the 12 Tribes of Israel are named.

1900 BC (about 3900 years ago)
Joseph sold into slavery
Joseph, one of the 12 sons of Jacob (Israel), is sold into slavery by his brothers, who are jealous of him. Joseph ends up in Egypt, where he rises to power as a trusted assistant of a pharaoh. His father and his brothers later leave Canaan, because of a famine, and move to Egypt. They are later saved from harm by Joseph.

1446 BC (about 3400 years ago)
Exodus begins
The Hebrews, or Israelites (descendants of Jacob), are enslaved for 400 years in Egypt until Moses leads them out of Egypt. They wander the desert for 40 years. Moses then brings them to the border of Canaan, the land that God had previously promised to their forefather Abraham.

1406 BC (about 3400 years ago)
Israel begins establishing itself as a sovereign country
After Moses dies, Joshua leads the Israelites into Canaan and begins conquering the land, establishing a sovereign country of Israel for the first time in history.

1400 BC (about 3400 years ago)
Israel is ruled by judges, not kings
From about 1400 BC to about 1050 BC, Israel was not ruled by kings. The people think of God as their King. Instead of an earthly king, Israel is led by judges who settled disputes.

1050 BC (about 3000 years ago)
Saul becomes Israel's first king
After about 350 years of being ruled by judges, the people of Israel demand to have a king, like the neighboring countries. By demanding a king, the people are turning away from their faith in God as their king. Saul become king and reigns about 40 years.

1010 BC (about 3000 years ago)
David becomes King of Israel
David becomes king of Israel in about 1010 BC and reigns for 40 years. David, unlike Saul, follows the commands of God. He makes mistakes, but he repents for them. He seeks to please God. He expands the size of Israel and rules over surrounding territories.

970 BC (about 3000 years ago)
Solomon becomes king, builds Temple
Solomon, son of David, becomes king in about 970 BC. He too reigns for about 40 years. Solomon builds the Temple in honor of God. The work is completed in about 960 BC. But, Solomon eventually turns away from God and worships false gods.

926 BC (about 2900 years ago)
Israel becomes a divided kingdom
Shortly after the reign of Solomon, Israel becomes a divided kingdom. The southern kingdom, called Judah, includes the city of Jerusalem and the Temple. The northern kingdom continued to be called Israel. The two often war with each other.

721 BC (about 2700 years ago)
Assyrians conquer northern kingdom of Israel
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel in about 721 BC. The Assyrians torture and decapitate many. They force many Israelites (10 of the 12 Tribes of Israel) out of Israel and bring in foreigners.

612 BC (about 2600 years ago)
Babylon conquers Nineveh (Assyrian Empire)
The Assyrian Empire's capital city - Nineveh - is attacked by coalition of Babylonians and others. As explained by the prophet Nahum in the Bible, Nineveh was to be destroyed because of the Assyrian Empire's treatment of Israelites and other people.

605 BC (about 2600 years ago)
Babylon exerts influence over Judah
The neo-Babylonian Empire, under the reign of king Nebuchadnezzar, begins forcing Judah into submission. Nebuchadnezzar takes many Jews as captives to Babylon to ensure Judah's obedience.

597 BC (about 2600 years ago)
Babylon attacks Judah
Babylonian army attacks Judah and takes more Jews as captives to Babylon. Ezekiel, one of the captives, becomes a prophet of God. Ezekiel explains that God is allowing Babylon to punish Judah because the people have been unfaithful to God.

586 BC (about 2600 years ago)
Babylon destroys Jerusalem and the Temple
Babylon attacks Judah again. This time, the Babylonians destroy Jerusalem and the Temple that Solomon had built. More Jews are taken as captives to Babylon.

586 BC to 573 BC (about 2600 years ago)
King Nebuchadnezzar attacks Tyre mainland
Babylon begins a 13-year siege of the mainland of the Phoenician city of Tyre.

539 BC (about 2500 years ago)
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon
After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, the neo-Babylonian Empire begins to lose power. Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon in 539 BC, establishing the Medo-Persian Empire.

538 BC (about 2500 years ago)
Cyrus releases Jews from Babylonian Captivity
After conquering Babylon, Cyrus offers the Jews their freedom to leave Babylon and to return to Judah. Cyrus' kingdom rules over Judah and many other parts of the Middle East, but Cyrus allows people more cultural and religious freedom than did the neo-Babylonian Empire.

536 BC (about 2500 years ago)
Work begins to rebuild Temple
Some of the Jews in Babylon return to Judah and begin work in about 536 BC to rebuild the Temple, which had been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC.

516 BC (about 2500 years ago)
Second Temple is dedicated
The Temple is consecrated for worship, 70 years after the Babylonians had destroyed it in 586 BC.

333 BC (about 2300 years ago)
Greeks begin rule over land of Israel
The Greeks, under the leadership of Alexander the Great, defeat Persian armies in Macedonia in 333 BC. This marks the fall of the Medo-Persian Empire and the rise of the Grecian Empire.

332 BC (about 2300 years ago)
Alexander conquers Tyre (Phoenician Empire)
Alexander wars against the island fortress of the Phoenician city of Tyre. He takes rubble from the mainland of Tyre and builds a walkway to the island. Alexander's forces then conquer the island fortress, bringing an end to the Phoenician Empire.

250 BC (about 2300 years ago)
The Old Testament is translated into Greek
A Greek ruler asks the Jews to translate all or part of the Old Testament into the Greek language. The translation is called the Septuagint.

175 BC (about 2200 years ago)
Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes torments the Jews
Greek ruler Antiochus Epiphanes rules Syria from about 175 BC to about 164 BC. He reigns over Judah and tries to destroy the Jewish religion. He also defiles the Temple.

164 BC to 63 BC (about 2200 years ago)
Jews have independence
The Maccabees, a group that fought for Jewish independence, stage a revolt against the Greeks and establish the Hasmonean royal dynasty, as well as sovereignty over all or part of the land of Israel for about 100 years, from about 164 BC to 63 BC.

63 BC (about 2100 years ago)
The Romans take over land of Israel
After the death of Alexander the Great, the empire of the Greeks is divided up and becomes weaker. During this time, the Roman Empire becomes increasingly powerful. The Roman general named Pompey seizes control over the land of Israel.

About 5 BC (about 2000 years ago)
Jesus is born in Bethlehem
Jesus is born in the town of Bethlehem. The Apostle Matthew later points out that Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfilled a prophecy delivered by the prophet Micah, about 700 years beforehand. (See Micah 5:2).

About 25 AD (about 2000 years ago)
Jesus begins His ministry
Jesus is about 30 years old when he begins his ministry. He preaches salvation, delivers prophecies and performs miracles. He announces that he is the Messiah (the Christ) who was promised by the prophets of the Old Testament. Jesus promises salvation and eternal life to those who believe in him (See John 3:16, as an example).

About 28 AD (about 2000 years ago)
Jesus is crucified and resurrected
Jesus is falsely accused and is sent to Pontius Pilate, the Roman ruler of the land of the Jews, to be crucified. Jesus is later resurrected, meaning he is brought back to life, and his followers began evangelizing him to others, allowing Christianity to spread very quickly throughout the Roman world and to eventually become the first religion to spread throughout the world.

70 AD (about 1900 years ago)
Romans destroy Jerusalem and Temple
In 70 AD, the Roman Army, under Titus, destroys Jerusalem and the Temple, to suppress an uprising of the Jews. According to the historian Josephus, about 1.1 million Jews were killed. Others were taken as slaves.

First century AD (about 1900 years ago)
The Bible is completed
During the first century of this era, the New Testament, which describes the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, is completed. The writing of the Bible (the Old Testament and the New Testament) comes to an end. It began during the time of Moses, about 3400 years ago. Jesus becomes, and remains, the final subject of the Bible.

Copyright © George Konig and Ray Konig and konig.org

 

Taken from http://www.konig.org/timeline.htm

Isaiah Timeline:

History during the time of Isaiah

• Uzziah and Jotham (791-732 BC)
  
  • Isaiah was called to be a prophet in the year when King Uzziah died (see Isaiah 6:1) 742 BC
    
  • Uzziah was second only to Solomon in wealth and power. But, he grew proud (2Chron 26:18)
    
  • He was king of Judah
    
  • He developed leprosy and was succeeded by his son Jotham (Jotham began to reign while Uzziah was still alive)
    
  • During this period Isaiah was busy afflicting the comfortable. On the outside, things were great, but Isaiah was worried about their laxity, their mistreatment of the poor, and especially their worship of foreign gods.
    
• Tiglath-pileser III 744-727 BC
  
  • This was the Assyrian King
    
  • During his reign everyone in the north began to get quite worried.
    
  • Pekah of Israel sided with Rezin of Damascus
    
  • These two went to the new king of Judah, Ahaz, asking him to join their coalition.
    
  • Isaiah recommends against this and Ahaz listens to Isaiah.
    
  • However, Israel and Damascus attack Judah.
    
  • In this weakened condition, the Philistines and Edom attack Judah.
    
  • With pressure from all sides, Ahaz goes against Isaiah's recommendation and sides with Assyria.
    
  • Assyria attacks the north, freeing Judah from pressure. Israel becomes an Assyrian Vassal state.
    
  • Ahaz, impressed by these victories, decides to join in with Assyrian worship.
    
  • So, Ahaz is paying tribute to the Assyrian king and joining in Assyrian worship. He is putting his trust in human rulers, this is where Immanuel is promised.
    
• Shalmaneser 726-722 BC
  
  • After the death of Tiglath-pilesar Hoshea from Israel decides to stop payment of the tribute. This pretty much ends the kingdom of Israel.
    
• Hezekiah 715 BC
  
  • A good king of Judah
    
  • His first act was to clear out the abominations of Ahaz and rededicate the temple.
    
  • He is not as friendly with Assyria, and he attacks the Philistines, probably as a way to ally himself with Egypt against the Assyrians.
    
• Sennacharib 704-681
  
  • With Hezekiah distancing himself from Assyria, Sennacharib leads an attack against Judah.
    
  • He wreaks havoc throughout the land, coming all the way up to the gates of Jerusalem.
    
  • Miraculously, Jerusalem is able to wait out the siege. Apparently a pestilence broke out in the Assyrian camp. There after Judah is dependent upon Assyria but somewhat independent.
    

Isaiah

Here is the audio from December 8.

Also, here is a map that shows many of the places mentioned by Isaiah:

Sorry

I have been a bit behind in my posting. But, I will upload all that I have for the first class on Isaiah.

Penance Service Talk

Here is the audio from the Penance service.

Fr Bob Van Kempen is the pastor of St. Mary's in Bristol Indiana. You may recognize him, he was an associate pastor here in years past. His talk was excellent, I hope you enjoy it.

Hope: Msgr Bill Schooler

Here is the link to Msgr.'s talk on the virtue of Hope.
Monsignor Schooler needs little introduction. He is the pastor of St. Pius X parish in Granger. And, he is a former associate here at St. Matthew's Cathedral.

Advent Parish Mission

Last night we began our parish mission. Click here for the audio from last night's talk on Faith. The recording is actually pretty good. I hope you enjoy it. Fr. Jim Shafer is the pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish of Fort Wayne. I think you will find the talk very helpful, as a way to increase your faith and faithfulness to the Lord this Advent.