Isaiah 60:1-7
The Ingathering of the Dispersed
Background: This selection comes from a portion of
the book of Isaiah commonly referred to as Third Isaiah which spans from
chapter 56 to 66. Third Isaiah was most likely delivered in Jerusalem to a
mixed community of residents and those who had returned from exile in Babylon;
most likely in the period 538-515 BCE. Today’s reading may be best summed up as
a proclamation of deliverance and the glorification of Zion.
Theme: Isaiah appears to be describing the return
of Israel and the repopulation of Israel by the rightful inhabitants. Within
this passage, Isaiah identifies many of the nations that surround Israel and
how they will interact with Israel given the Israelite’s status as God’s chosen
people.
Questions to Ponder
* Please read the additional verse, Isaiah 60:1-7.
* Where else is the “darkness and light” motif prominent in
the Old Testament? Where else does the “darkness and light” motif carry forward
into the New Testament?
* Of whom do you think Isaiah was speaking when he said
“your light has come”? To whom do you think Isaiah was speaking?
* In Isaiah’s time, what do you think the “glory of the
Lord” that had risen was? Christians might rightly claim that the glory of the
Lord spoken about is Christ, yet more than 500 years would pass before Christ’s
appearance; do you think Isaiah was speaking of Christ or of some other person
who would be the messiah (the one who delivers) for the Israelites?
* Do you think Isaiah was declaring that the light had come
strictly for the Israelites?
* Where else, besides “over the people” might God’s light be
shining in Isaiah’s time?
* Although God had told Israel to remain pure and to not let
others who weren’t like them into their country in the Torah, this passage
seems to say that people and nations will come to Israel and that those coming
to Israel should be welcomed openly. Do you think God is telling Israel to
accept all outsiders into their faith? How might Israel’s acceptance of others
as converts be problematic for Israel, especially given their history?
* Why might Isaiah say that sons would come after the
people, specifically: “your sons shall come from far away and your daughters
shall be carried on their nurses’ arms”?
* How might the movement of Israel’s children from elsewhere
back to Israel be important to the Israelites of Isaiah’s time?
* What might the significance of the nations listed in
verses 6 and 7 be? Who are those nations listed in those two verses?
* What might the message of good news be for the Israelites?
* What is the message of good news for us today?
* How might we apply the tenets of this passage in our life
and ministry?
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