Week Two
December 4, 2022
Envision the Impossible
Isaiah 11:1–10
They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:9
In Isaiah 11:1-10, we find words attributed to Isaiah of Jerusalem, the 8th century BCE prophet, directed at the nation of Judah. In 722/21 BCE, the Assyrian empire had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and forced Judah to pay tribute. This new financial strain was not born by the wealthy of Judah; it was passed along to those who had little to spare.
The prophetic vision, found in Isaiah 11:1-10, seems to echo the dreams of a people who were desperate for a better life. Since the fate of the nation of Judah was controlled by their human ruler and their relationship with the Holy, the best hope that Isaiah could offer was the promise of a future when a just and righteous ruler would end all the suffering of the poor and punish their oppressors. This new ruler would usher in a time of unprecedented peace, reflected both in nature and in the political realm.
While Isaiah envisioned a future king for Judah, the vision expanded to the possibility of any leader (or community) who would help to create a world in which natural enemies work in mutuality for the common good and everyone knows a life of wholeness (shalom) that only comes from the Divine.
To our 21st century minds, such a vision seems unimaginable. Perhaps Advent is a time to envision the impossible and then work to make it a reality.
Dr. Lisa Davison
Johnnie Eargle Cadieux Professor of Hebrew Bible and
Disciples Director of Denominational Formation
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