Our first reading is taken from the 35th Chapter of the Prophet Isaiah – a prophet we have been reading for more than a week now. Although Isaiah 34 is not part of these Advent weekday readings, it offers some context for today’s readings and some insight to our human expectations of God.
Isaiah 34 is an oracle that begins with a call to judgment against all nations and then moves to the specific case of Edom, a kingdom to the south of Judea. Tradition holds that Edom was established by Isaac’s son Esau (brother of Jacob); the word edom in Hebrew means “red” and as Gen 25:25 notes, Esau was born “reddish.” Despite (or because of) the blood relationship, Edom was considered one of the many enemies that Israel had to deal with time and time again.
As the Judeans, now exiled to Babylon, consider the state of things they recall that the Lord is Zion’s defender and as such should defeat all nations that oppose it. The passage is notable for two reasons. First, it uses the imagery of cosmic destruction — the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll. It is a poetic evocation of utter desolation, which attests the absolute power of God over the world.
Second, we cannot overlook the fact that this is a rather gory fantasy of vengeance. It is true that the vengeance of the Lord is closely related to the idea of justice. It is a matter of punishing the oppressor and vindicating the oppressed (see Deut 32:34–43). Yet, it is no less true that this oracle expresses the frustration and resentment of the Jewish community in the hard times of the postexilic period. The sentiments expressed are less than admirable, but they are certainly an honest expression of human nature. Religious people have often expected their God to satisfy their desire for vengeance. The expectation, however, is seldom fulfilled.
Chapter 35 provides the positive counterpart to chapter 34 by focusing on Israel’s liberation. One cannot help but be reminded of another Exile prophet: Ezekiel. In the chapters leading up to Ezekiel 47 we have a similar vision of the state of things: the great valley of the dry bones – Judea in utter defeat. But Chapter 47 begins a description of a complete restoration of the land when the waters, flowing from the Temple, completely restore the land to a garden paradise, even bringing life to the Dead Sea.
“The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers, and rejoice with joyful songs…Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe. The burning sands will become pools, and the thirsty ground, springs of water” (Isa 35:1-2, 6-7)
The message is one of comfort and hope. The images of chapter 35 have lasting power to console and encourage those in need of liberation from exile. For the moment, those in exile, looking ahead, did not see the blossoming, only the barrenness of the destruction of Jerusalem. Isaiah promises that the day will come when they will become pilgrims on the way home. Then they will see the blossoming as they walk the pilgrim path described as “A highway will be there, called the holy way.” (v.8)
Perhaps in this Advent of 2023 with the destruction of the lands south of the modern State of Israel, we will sustain our hope that the nations find “the holy way.” Closer to home, may we be mindful of the “holy way” we are each called to walk that the parched interior landscape of our lives may bloom and rejoice at the coming of the Christ Child.
Image credit: Prophet Isaiah, Mosaic, Right of Lunette, South Wall of Presbytery, Basilica of San Vitale | PD-US | Pexels
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