N.T. Wright talked with RELEVANT about his new book, Into the Heart of Isaiah, a walk through Isaiah 40-55. He calls it one of the most extraordinary poems ever written.
What stood out
- He reads it three ways: as Israel first heard it, as Jesus and the apostles used it, and as it speaks to the Church now
- About “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper”: remember an enemy may be claiming the same verse. In World War I, both sides sang the same hymns
- These chapters aren’t mainly promises about “my success” or a thriving business. They’re about a people sent to the world, which can involve pain as well as fulfillment
- The center: God, who had left Jerusalem to its fate, is coming back
My take
I’ll still stand on Isaiah 54:17, but he’s right that context makes it stronger, not weaker. The bigger God of Isaiah 40 “gives strength to the weary” (Isaiah 40:29-31), and He came back in Jesus, the Servant “pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5). Well worth reading.
God Bless, and Happy hacking!
