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“I will trust, and will not be afraid” (Isaiah 12:2). These words were spoken by the prophet Isaiah to the people of Judah and Jerusalem more than twenty seven hundred years ago, when the Assyrian Empire was the dominant power, and Judah lived in the shadow of its might. Foreign invaders, political instability, and crises … Continue reading “Isaiah 12:2-6 Commentary by Audrey West”

Many of us have a greater appreciation for water lately. The drought of 2012 left many with withered lawns and watering bans, left farmers without crops, and left animals both wild and domestic in danger of starvation and dehydration. Others of us, however, have seen too much water in recent months, with homes, crops, businesses, … Continue reading “Isaiah 12:2-6 Commentary by Elizabeth Webb”

Why We Sing Carols, Psalms and Spiritual Songs Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;     let this be known in all the earth.  Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,     for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Not all of the psalms in the Bible are … Continue reading “Isaiah 12:2-6 Commentary by Rolf Jacobson”

It’s a “dog eat dog” world, we say: “Nature, red in tooth and claw.” It’s survival of the fittest, and it’s not pretty. All true in its way. But is it all that’s true? “Nature, red in tooth and claw” comes from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s lengthy nineteenth-century poem “In Memoriam” (canto 56), in which the … Continue reading “Isaiah 11:1-10 Commentary by Fred Gaiser”

Isaiah preaches hope in a time of terror and justice in a time of oppression. Isaiah 11:1-10 answers fear of Assyrian armies with fear of God. Assyria’s false wisdom–arts of plunder and destruction (10:13)–cedes to true wisdom, discernment, and counsel (11:2). Isaiah declares that Assyria’s tree will be cut down (10:17-18, 33-34), while a new … Continue reading “Isaiah 11:1-10 Commentary by Anathea Portier-Young”

There are so many things to see in this text that we hardly know where to begin. A shoot growing from the stump of Jesse, the gifts of the spirit, the peaceable kingdom where predators and their prey live side by side, and babies play unharmed near poisonous snakes. Woody Allen once gave his own … Continue reading “Isaiah 11:1-10 Commentary by Barbara Lundblad”

Isaiah 9:2-7 has been chosen for Christmas Eve because of its the theme of light shining in the darkness (v. 2) and its reference to a child “born for us” who will usher in justice and righteousness “from this time forward and for evermore” (v. 7). In addition, the angelic announcement in Luke 2:11 may … Continue reading “Isaiah 9:2-7 Commentary by Mark Throntveit”

Isaiah 9:1 is not a part of the lectionary text, but helps put this Christmas Eve text in historical and literary context. This not altogether clear verse provides a transition between the darkness and gloom of 8:22 and the light and hope of 9:2-7. The southern kingdom Judah had been threatened by a coalition from … Continue reading “Isaiah 9:2-7 Commentary by Terence E. Fretheim”

The appointed Old Testament lesson for Christmas Eve is always these poetic verses from Isaiah and likely, to be honest, will not be the basis of a sermon when Luke 2 is the Gospel reading. Yet, even with this lectionary reality, year after year we continue to read Isaiah in tandem with Luke’s story of … Continue reading “Isaiah 9:2-7 Commentary by Karoline Lewis”

For historical backgrounds that may underlie this complex passage, please see the entries by Terence Fretheim (Christmas 2009) and Karoline Lewis (Christmas 2010). This commentary will explore the interpretive history leading to its presence at this powerful moment of the Christian year. The libretto to Handel’s Messiah was composed in 1741 by the English landowner … Continue reading “Isaiah 9:2-7 Commentary by Patricia Tull”