Monday 18 February 2008

Background

Jerusalem means literally 'to see peace'. But from the time whenKing David captured it and made it the capital of his territoriesright up until the present day, the city's bloody history has oftenseemed to mock its own name.

The writer of Isaiah 65 probably wrote from about 538 to 520 BC.Jerusalem had been captured half a century before by Babylonianconquerors. They killed many Jews and exiled others. When thePersians overturned Babylonian rule, the Persian king alloweddispersed peoples to return to their homelands.

The Jews must have returned to Jerusalem with such joy! But theyfound a city without its heart. The Babylonians had destroyedSolomon's Temple, and many Jews hadn't yet found an alternativeplace to worship and find religious meaning. It was hard to make anew life in a ruined city, with the ever-present fear of foreigninterference and of grinding poverty.

God used the prophet Isaiah to cheer the people up. In a great newcosmic act of re-creation, God will give new meaning and purpose toJerusalem. People will be glad and cease to weep. Even though theTemple is gone, which most Jews had thought was the guarantee ofGod's presence among them, God will rejoice with the people ofJerusalem and delight in them. In other words, God will be amongthem.

The passage tells us that the renewal of Jerusalem will be sowonderful that people will forget former acts of God like theexodus from Egypt. Should we take this literally, or is the writersaying something like: "You thought the exodus was something? Youain't seen nothing yet!"?

To Ponder

As we look at rival claims to Jerusalem today byJews, Christians and Muslims, does this passage of Scripture giveus any reason for hope?

What great things can we hope for from God thatwill put even past and present acts of grace into the shade?