Week 8 - Isaiah 19-25 & John 7 (Feb. 19-25)
Notes
The Fate of Egypt
Isaiah prophesies destruction for Egypt in Chapter 19. This is how that destruction played out historically:
An Immediate threat to the native Egyptian rulers was the Ethiopian king Shabaka. is Nubian kingdom eventually conquered the Egyptian Delta states in 716 BC and that would fit the time period. It is also possible that Isaiah is referring to Assyria. the Delta kings had joined the Philistine revolt led by Gaza against Assyria and Sargon II in 720. It could easily be surmised that Assyria would eventually wish to conquer Egypt and add it to the empire. both Tiglath-Pileser III and Sargon II (Assyrian kings) made treaties with Arab tribes along the Sinai and Philistine borders to keep a check on Egypt. Tensions continued to grow between the nations until in 663 Ashurbanipal successfully marched through the Nile Valley and sacked Thebes
IVP Bible Background Commentary, 609
The naked prophet?
Isaiah 20: 2 at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot.
The enacted prophecy employed by Isaiah was startling. This older man (who had been called to be a prophet thirty years before, in 742 BC) is commanded by God to strip himself naked and parade before the people in that shameful state. His purpose is to graphically demonstrate to the their ultimate fate if they choose to join the Ashdod (Philistine) revolt. they too will be stripped naked and taken away as slaves )compare Micah 1:8 and Nahum 3:5). Since style and quality of clothing was a status marker in the ancient world, criminals were also displayed naked as a sign of their loss of social status.
IVB Bible Background Commentary 611
Sennacherib’s Invasion of Judea
Sennacherib commissioned a cylindrical record of this campaign on which the “like a bird in a cage” quote here is recorded. This is a replical of that artifact on display at the Oriental Institute Museum and the University of Chicago. On the far-right edge of the picture you’ve got a glimpse of Madison Church Alumni Brenden Lang admiring Senachrib’s tales.
(concerning Jerusalem)
Isiah 22:2 you town so full of commotion,
you city of tumult and revelry?
Your slain were not killed by the sword,
nor did they die in battle.
3 All your leaders have fled together;
they have been captured without using the bow.
All you who were caught were taken prisoner together,
having fled while the enemy was still far away.
These events occur during the 701 B.C. campaign of Sennacherib (see comments on 2 Kings 18:1-20:21). The Assyrian king led a huge army of mercenaries and conscripts from throughout his empire. During the course of the invasion of Palestine, they will, according to Sennacherib's annals, "lay siege to forty-six fortified cities, walled forts, and countless villages." King Hezekiah was bottled up in Jerusalem "like a bird in a cage." Any of his officials who attempted to escape were captured, and many were executed. The strategic western border citadel at Lachish was captured and burned. Archaeological evidence of a mass grave indicates that its garrison was massacred, and Assyrian reliefs from the palace in Nineveh depict prisoners being taken into exile. Sennacherib claims to have taken 200,150 prisoners of war--an inflated figure so large that there would have been virtually no one left in Judah. Both the biblical account and the Assyrian records agree there was widespread destruction, but the invaders eventually withdrew after Hezekiah paid a huge sum as tribute and ransom for the city of Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:13-16).
IVP Bible Background Commentary 613
These are the Seals that they have discovered which bear Eliakim’s name
Isaiah 22: 20 “In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah.
The name of this official, which means "May El establish," has been found on seal impressions from Tell Beit Mirsim, Beth Shemesh, and Ramat Rahel. He served as 'asher 'al habbayit, royal steward, under King Hezekiah (see 2 Kings 18:18; 19.2; Is 36:3), and therefore would have been expected to affix his official seal to many documents.
The seal impression containing the name Eliakim appears on a large collection of jar handles dating to Hezekiah's reign. The Iron Age Lachish stratum 3, dated to 701 B.C., is the most important of the sites where these handles have been found. It is likely that Eliakim's seal appears on these jars as a part of his regular duties, managing palace stores and distributing oil and wine to royal fortress sites like Lachish.
IVP Bible Backgrounds Commentary 614
you can read an article about the seals here
https://armstronginstitute.org/374-has-the-seal-impression-of-eliakim-son-of-hilkiah-been-discovered
Did Jesus Lie?
In John 7:1-9 Jesus’ brothers tell him that he should go to the festival of Tabernacles in Jerusalem and he tells them that he will not go. But after his brothers had left for the festival, Jesus goes in secret anyways (verse 10). Did Jesus tell a lie? Short answer, no. Jesus is telling his brothers that he is not going to do what they want, which seems to be a public parade into Jerusalem for something like a political campaign to gain followers and push toward revolt. Jesus did not do that - so he can tell them “no” as in ‘i’m not going to go to the festival to do as you wish.’ What Jesus does at the festival is actually quite different than what his brothers have in mind. He is there in secret for a time and then when he appears publically he angers the leaders and causes division.
Jesus is telling his brothers that he does not need a campaign manager. He is not working a plan or running for office, he is responding to the commands of the Father. He will go when and where he is told and not until then. Jesus was very clear about his operative command structure throughout the entirety of his earthly ministry.
Gospel Coalition article by Paul Carter, 2022
more here:
https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/did-jesus-lie-to-his-brothers-in-john-7/