Isaiah 29

Quick – tell me everything you know about Isaiah 29.

Ok, take your time and think about it.

Not much better, eh?

Interesting.  As you know, I’m teaching through Isaiah in Sunday School this year and last week I taught chapter 28.  I told the class from the start that I didn’t plan to teach every chapter (and I did skip a few like 15-18, 20-21).  But I really thought I’d skip a bunch in 24-35, especially since I couldn’t really tell you what went on there and thus it must not be important.

So I was thinking about skipping chapter 29.  No need to keep repeating the same stuff.  And I don’t want to spend forever in Isaiah (besides not wanting to kill the class, I also want to teach some other books). 

But I had a vision.  I was in heaven, and I was talking to Paul.  And he asked me why I skipped Isaiah 29.  I was taken aback.  How did he know?  He kindly but forcefully boxed my ears for not bothering to spend 30 minutes in class on a chapter that he quoted multiple times (Rom 9:19-21; 11:7-8).  I repented. 

But later that afternoon I was talking to John.  He asked if I was the guy who skipped Isaiah 29.  Didn’t I know that Revelation 5 just came alive if I understood Isaiah 29 (besides the scroll in vv11-12, note ariel/lion and “Root of David”)?  In a place where there is to be no shame, I was ashamed.

I was so glad that evening when I saw Jesus.  He was so wonderful and gracious.  He was telling me stories about when he was a boy and how in school he memorized Isaiah 29.  Didn’t I know that he was thinking of this in Luke 19:43, quoted it directly in Matt 15:7-9, and alluded to it in Matt 11:25 (among others)?

I woke from my vision, incredulous that I even considered skipping a chapter that was so well known to the NT writers.

I wonder how differently we would understand the New Testament if we were saturated in the Old as the apostles were.  Maybe “differently” isn’t exactly the word I want.  But certainly the “wow” factor is lessened when you don’t read Romans (or Revelation) for the first time and see God working out his purposes planned and revealed long ago.

Maybe I would say it this way: we don’t marvel at the wisdom of God displayed in the New Testament because we don’t know his plans revealed in the Old.

But maybe that’s just me.