VIII. Thesis Statement
Prophets reminds us there is no deliverance without discipline for sinners.
Prophets reminds us constantly God’s disciplines are purposed for that deliverance. Never mere punishment. As long as there is breath even after in purgatory, God means for us to purified, God means for us to become fully and completely saints. God’s discipline that He sends are meant for that purpose.
Wills of God
1 Active
2 Permissive
1 Cor 11 invites us by penance by rebuking ourselves in confession to anticipate that discipline of God
Paul says of the Eucharist
1 Cor 11: 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
31 But if we judged[i]ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined[j] so that we may not be condemned (at the end) along with the world.
Self-discipline, invited to take upon ourselves but not because we are spiritual masochists. Not to hurt or be mean to ourselves. Honest before the Lord.
Purpose lay before God our weakness and sins so that God can heal it
Always repent in hope. Never in despair.
- Major themes
God is thrice holy (Temple vision Isaiah 6:1-13 ESV)
Isaiah 5:1-7
God the good and purposeful vinedresser 5:1 and following
“Bloodshed” and “outcry” (5:7)
God will remove Judah’s/ Israel’s protections
This is in accord with God’s promises at Sinai and aimed at their good
Exile will purge them for renewal (4:2-6)
God did everything He could for His vineyard to bear good fruit: protections around it, tower, national image creeping into the garden image, tower look out to protect from threats, trench, wall, rain, everything it needs to bear fruit.
God saying I have done everything for My people. Bear fruit in holiness and righteousness. So they will be My people, because I am their God.
While I have been God to them, they have not been My people. They have acted like some other people of false gods. Run after things that give no benefit.
God says I will remove those protections, foreign armies will come in, take away the rain from it, so the people will know and see how far they have fallen as they are hitting rock bottom.
I looked for justice but behold bloodshed, for righteousness behold an outcry. Hebrew play on words. Prophets being poetry. Poetic in their own language, does not come through in some translations.
Hebrew Looked for mishpat (justice) but behold mispat (blood shed)
I looked for righteousness (tsadaq, tsidqah) behold heard an outcry (zeaqah)
Greed, “Joining house to house” (5:8)
8 Woe to those who join house to house,
who add field to field,
until there is no more room,
and you are made to dwell alone
in the midst of the land.
Getting their neighbors property, enlarging their own property, leaving their neighbors out to dry, that God apportioned to each family and tribe land to sustain themselves.
They want more stuff until they are alone. No God, no neighbors to love, in the midst of these giant houses.
Greed makes us lonely, removes us from people we could do good works to love and serve.
They are rebuked for oppressive royal policies and corrupt priests. They have broken the Sinai covenant. It is a covenant intended to raise Israel up to be a blessing to the other nations. The Ten Commandments & the Book of the Covenant Exodus 21-23, are a practical list aimed at governing the people of Israel.
A covenant is more than a promise. It is a means of establishing familial bonds, often involving a covenant ceremony meal. Both blessings (fulfilled) and curses (failed) are listed. Invoking of God to insure justice towards observance.[1]
Because of these things, God will remove His protection. Remove the hedge around this vineyard. Let the foreign armies come though
Their discipline will be purgative, their exile will not be the end of them, some will die. That is how national warfare works, but the people will be purged of its guilt, through exile and on the other side of it, they have paid that penalty God will restore them.
Applicable to our times. Sanctity of covenant. Missing idea God values treasurers pure covenant and familial bonds. To quick to dismiss without understanding salvation history background.
Episode 6
[1] Tim Gray & Jeff Cavins, Walking With God: A Journey Through the Bible (Ascension Press: West Chester, PA 2010) 78