A Reiteration of Purpose- Isaiah 2:1

Isaiah 2:1

            A secondary superscription reintroduces us to the vision of Isaiah. These are words he saw in a vision which came to him (cf. Lam. 2:9; Ez.7:26). Put another way, these words are not just his own creation. The prophets were earlier called seers (1 Sam. 9:9) and this points us to one of the realities of prophecy.

            As prophecy is a vision from God, the prophets make known a present reality to the people of God. The visions seen are not necessarily about the future but are instead about a contingent future following a failure to change in the present. The present is necessarily a part of the vision of the prophets. The vision is necessary because the people’s spiritual blindness has become so much a part of their lives that they can no longer see what they are doing. Prophets speak the truth as they imagine a new way of being (I love much of Walter Brueggemann's writing in The Prophetic Imagination). 

            Jesus refers to this same spiritual blindness several times in his ministry (e.g. Matt. 15:13-14, 23:16-19; 23:24; Luke 6:39-42). It is no accident that the healing ministry of Jesus involves physically healing several persons who are dealing with blindness (e.g. Matt. 20:30; Mark 8:22-26). As they are healed, the prophetic ministry of Jesus is unleashed with power as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are rebuked in their own spiritual blindness. This brings us back to Isaiah. Jesus brought his ministry for all to the reality of him breaking into the present. The prophets hoped for present spiritual change so that there would be future physical change. Jesus brought a present physical and spiritual change as he preached the restoration of all things in the kingdom. This is a part of the Good News, and one of the things that we must see in the prophets is their looking forward to Messiah.  Messiah brought the message they had always hoped for as they saw a glimpse of the reality of God.

            The claim to have special revelation from God was critical to Isaiah’s message.  It meant that God had not abandoned His people. God’s provided His wisdom to bring life to His people. By following the guidance coming via the prophet, God’s people could enjoy the benefits of the special relationship afforded to them.

            There may have been some elapsed time between the superscriptions of chapter 1 and 2, and it is likely the prophet had multiple visions from the Lord. The placement here may also point to a reaffirmation of one of the overarching themes of the book – the redemption of all people (compare 66:18-21). In any cases, although the prophet or later editors may have ordered the book thematically for purposes of chronology or thematic focus, repetition should only enforce the authorship of the book and not cause us to question it. One other possibility for this reiteration is that the author intended to set it apart from either: 1. A common source material with Micah 4 (or) 2. Micah 4 itself. The most likely straightforward reading of the text is that the material was written by Isaiah, even if there was a common hymn both authors drew from in writing their manuscripts, and Isaiah is a compilation of continuity brought together by either the prophet or faithful editors.

Final thoughts:

11. What does spiritual blindness look like today?

22. What does it mean to make the kingdom of heaven known in the world?

33. What planks do I need to take out of my own I so that I can better share the kingdom message (cf. Matt.7:3-5; Luke 6:42)?

44. Do I look for the things of God at work in the world? Do I have a heart for the lost?

55. When I write, do I remember to give credit where credit is due?