21st Century Isaiah Bible Christian Essay

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Watts (2005) points out, the book of Isaiah "works to redefine the terms Israel and Jacob for an age of dispersion and change," (p. 1). The message of faith within a changing world, a world in which political turmoil shapes the destiny of a nation, is one that remains relevant in the 21st century. Isaiah encapsulates the concept of diaspora, showing how a dispersed people can remain a nation via devotion to God. However, the book of Isaiah also lays the foundation of the Christian notion of faith that can bind a people to God and to one another. The theology of Isaiah is a historical, perennial theology that illuminates the importance of history for outlining the way forward through tumultuous times.



A new edition of Isaiah for the children of the 21st century would be a natural extension of Books 1-3. God's plan is to be honored, trusted, revered, and acknowledged even through the intense suffering that characterizes human existence. The first three books of Isaiah present Jerusalem increasingly as a spiritual and symbolic center of worship, a pilgrimage hub, and the seat of God's actual power. In fact, the city of Jerusalem has historically evolved exactly as such. A fourth book of Isaiah would highlight the prophetic power of Isaiah, anchoring the 21st century believers to their forebears.




The first three books of Isaiah show that political turmoil gave rise to the concept of Israel as a nation not defined by geographic boundaries but by faith. Diaspora and dispersion, exile and bondage: these challenges became etched into Jewish identity and helped eventually forge a new covenant with God that would be based on faith. A 21st century edition of Isaiah would continue with the theme of spiritual nationhood trumping a nationhood based on geo-political power, and a new Isaiah would anchor the power of God in Israel. The return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem in the 20th century would be described as a beginning of yet another new age, similar to the potent changes taking place in the historical epochs in which the original Isaiah books were penned.



Christians play a key role in the new world, particularly when viewed through the Isaiah texts. The role of Christians can be viewed as both symbolic and practical, with a theological and political impact. Theologically, Isaiah lays the groundwork for….....

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References

Brueggeman, W., Linafelt, T., (2012). An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination. Lousiville: Westminster John Knox Press.

Notes taken passim from Watts, J.D. W. (2005). Isaiah 1-33, Revised. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, cxvi - cxxi.

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https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/21st-century-isaiah-bible-christian-essay