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0 God's tattoo (Isaiah 49-55)

Episode 186: God's tattoo

Isaiah 49-55

From the bowels of my mother

49 1 Listen, you islands. God called me from my mother's womb. He mentioned my name from the bowels of my mother.

2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword.

3 And he said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified."

God's tattoo

16 I've carved an image of you on the palm of my hand.

23 Kings will be your nursing fathers, and queens your nursing mothers. They will lick up the dust of your feet.

They will be drunk with their own blood

26 I’ll feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, and they’ll be drunk with their own blood, as with sweet wine. So that everyone will know that I'm your savior and redeemer.

Has my hand been shortened?

50 1 God says,

Your mother and I are divorced. But where's the paperwork?

Do you know who I sold you to?

I sold you and divorced your mother for your sins, not hers.

2 Why was there no one home when I came to visit?

Why didn't you answer when I called?

Has my hand been shortened?

I dry up the sea and the rivers and make their fish stink.

3 I have darkened the sky.

Wake up God!

51 1 Listen to me, you who seek God.

Look at the rock from which you were carved, and to the hole from whence you were dug.

6 The stars will vanish, the earth will grow old, and everything that lives on it will die.

9 Wake up, God! Didn't you cut Rahab and wound the dragon?

10 Didn't you dry up the sea?

Beautiful feet

52 1 Wake up, Jerusalem! Put on your beautiful clothes.

No uncircumcised or unclean people will ever enter the city again.

7 People who bring good news have beautiful feet.

10 God made bare his mighty arm, so everyone can see it.

A man of sorrows

53 3 He is a man of sorrows, despised and rejected by everyone.

4-5 He afflicted by God and wounded for our transgressions. With his stripes we are healed.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he didn't speak. He was brought like a lamb to the slaughter.

9-10 He did nothing wrong, but it pleased God to bruise him, making him an offering for sin.

12 Here bore the sins of many, and interceded for the transgressors.

Sing, barren woman!

54 1 Sing, you barren woman! 5 Because God is your husband.

8 He says to you, "I was a little bit angry, so I hid my face from you. But I'll have mercy on you."

A cashless society?

55 1 Come everyone who is hungry or thirsty and eat. Buy wine and milk without money.

2 Why spend your money on things that aren't food? Why work for things that don't satisfy you? If you listen to me, you can eat what is good and delight your soul in fatness.

8-9 My thoughts aren't like your thoughts. They're better than yours.

A few more words about this episode

At the end of the podcast, Carole asked if we would finish Isaiah in the next episode, and I said, "Yeah, because it's only 11 verses." I should have said eleven chapters. (But we will be able to finish Isaiah next time, since the chapters are rather short.)

He mentioned my name from the bowels of my mother. (49:1)
This is often used by Christians to say that the Bible opposes abortion, but verse 3 clearly shows that this passage refers to Israel, not to a an unborn child. (I have no idea who Israel's mother might be, though.)
I've carved an image of you on the palm of my hand. (49:16)
God has tattooed an image of Israel on the palms of his hands.
Didn't you cut Rahab (51:9)
Isaiah is referring to the mythological sea dragon, not the prostitute who befriended the spies in the book of Joshua (Joshua 2:1).
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings! (52:7)
"Beautiful feet" is one of those phrases that the author of the Book of Mormon (Joseph Smith) really liked. It occurs six times overall, and four times in four consecutive verses. (See How beautiful are the feet in the Book of Mormon!)
He is a man of sorrows (53:1)

The suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is often claimed by Christian apologists to refer to Jesus. But seems to refer to the nation of Israel, not to a person who had not yet been born.

Sing, you barren woman! (54:1)
The "barren woman" here is presumably Israel.
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