The Cost of Misrepresenting God, Prophets and Poetic Language cont.

 

The Old Testament prophets can be difficult to understand. They use a lot of metaphors, similes and figures of speech, otherwise known as poetic language. To understand this type of poetry, it is important to look at the context in which it resides.

The Old Testament's historical context is that God is having some serious problems with His people. Israel is worshipping false gods taken from the nations around them. God is zealous for His reputation; and the people of God, Israel, must represent God properly.

The problem that often arises in the prophets is that Israel is not representing God properly. Let’s take chapter 59 for example. God explains the problem He is having with Israel in the first couple of verses: (NASB)

59 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short
That it cannot save;
Nor is His ear so dull
That it cannot hear.
² But your wrongdoings have caused a separation between you and your God,
And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

Don't miss the context. Yes, there is nothing God cannot save or redeem. "But" Israel's idol worship have caused separation from the living God. It is oft repeated in the prophets. And, I would add, a very unpopular notion in today’s church that God would hide His face and not hear someone’s prayers. Yet, there it is.

This theme goes on in chapter 59 of Isaiah, until verse 15, and that is where we pick it up: (NASB)

¹⁵ Truth is lacking,
And one who turns aside from evil makes himself a prey.
Now the Lord saw,
And it was displeasing in His sight that there was no justice.
¹⁶ And He saw that there was no one,
And was amazed that there was not one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
¹⁷ He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a cloak.
¹⁸ According to their deeds, so will He repay:
Wrath to His adversaries, retribution to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will deal retribution.
¹⁹ So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun,
For He will come like a rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.

Verse 16 is the key idea. There was no one to intercede between a sinful people and a Holy God. So God made a way, where there seemed to be no other way.

But, as the context goes on, there will still be “retribution to His enemies.” Because Israel had adopted the neighboring nations’ false gods, they were now included as part of God’s enemies.

So, God made a way by sending Jesus, as these are Messianic verses from the Old Testament.

However, this will not dissuade God’s eventual “retribution.” And indeed, the people Israel were overtaken by their enemies and put into exile for their idol worship. An entire generation was left in exile. That is their history.

Those are the metaphors in the last part of verse 19. God’s judgment is swift and complete, but to those who believe, God makes a way out of His judgment.

So, those who are saved from God’s judgment will fear His name; and give Him the glory He deserves from the rising of the sun to its setting; for God’s deliverance, as His judgment, is like a rushing stream which the wind of the Lord drives before Him.

Yes, the poetic themes in the Prophets are a bit confusing at times, but well worth the time it can take to understand them.