Spiritual Renewal

Spiritual Renewal

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

3:14 PM

Isaiah 44:1-4 (KJV)

1 Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen:

2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee; Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen.

3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

4 And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.

The image of water in a dry land is also prominent in the book. Here it is particularly significant both for its similarity to and differences from the corresponding passage in 43:19-20. Both statements speak of the new day when God will do the impossible for his people, when he will turn death into life. But the former one seems to be linked more closely with the restoration from Babylon, while this one deals more broadly with the renewal of the people and their life. The use of the Spirit is significant in this regard. Just as in 32:15, the prophet senses that without an infusion of the Holy Spirit into the life of the people, only death and corruption will reign, as it had in the past. He recognizes that apart from this kind of divine intervention, the same spiritual deficiency that precipitated the destruction of the nation once will do so again.

One could argue, however, that such an interpretation reads too much into what is merely a metaphorical statement that the Lord will give the gift of fertility to his people. Two factors show that more is intended here. The first is the explicit connection made to spiritual renewal by the other prophetic promises of the Spirit (32:15; Ezek. 36:26-28; Joel 2:12-14; 3:1-2 [Eng. 2:28-29]). But this establishes only a presumption; it does not constitute proof that this passage functions in the same way. That proof is supplied by the second factor, which is the context here. The previous segment (43:22-28) speaks of the problem of Israel's sinfulness and that this has led to destruction and the reviling of Israel. This segment speaks of God's gracious salvation that will lead to persons vying for the honor of being an Israelite and belonging to her God (v. 5). It is asking too much to believe that this result would stem merely from the physical multiplication of a sinful Israel. Rather, just as 32:15 says, when God pours out his Spirit on his people, there will be a spiritual restoration that will deal with the problem that brought about the exile in the first place. Without that grace, the prophets all know there is no chance that the people will be able to keep their covenant with God (Jer. 31:31) and become vessels through which his glory can shine. But with it, the true glory of Israel's God shining through them would draw the whole world to its light (60:2-3; 66:18).

Unquestionably, Jesus taught his disciples to believe that the prophets were foretelling a specific act of God in their speaking of the outpouring of the Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; 2:16, 38). One must also grant that in Isaiah's time there was nothing like the event of Pentecost to cause masses of people to wish to belong to the God of Israel. Furthermore, a sequence in the message of this section indicates that the prophet expected the saving acts of God (to which Israel [and the church, Acts 1:8] would be a witness [Isa. 43:10, 12; 44:8]) to culminate in the infusion of the Holy Spirit in God's people. That sequence is "you are my witnesses," 43:8-13; deliverance from Babylon, 43:14-21; deliverance not deserved because of persistent sin, 43:22-28; outpouring of Spirit results in fulfillment of Abrahamic promises, 44:1-5. This sequence shows that with this pronouncement Isaiah had in mind the event, if not the details, of Pentecost.

John N. Oswalt, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament – The Book of Isaiah Chapters 40-66, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 166-167.

Isaiah 55:1 (KJV)

1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

Acts 3:19 (KJV)

19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Water and the Spirit. John 7 records the appearance of Jesus at the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles, an annual celebration that included the transportation of water over a period of seven days from the Pool of Siloam to the temple, in commemoration of the miraculous waters of Meribah provided in Israel’s wilderness experience (Num 20:2-13). Against the backdrop of that richly significant ritual, Jesus announces that anyone who is truly thirsty should come to him and drink (Jn 7:37). Moreover, believers in Jesus will find that rivers of living water will flow out of their own heart (Jn 7:38). This water, the writer is careful to explain, is the promised Holy Spirit.

This passage draws on two strands of traditional symbolism. The first is of miraculous spring or fountain as a special providence for the community. The second is of inner fountain as the movement of God in the personal depths. Fresh (living) water is miraculously provided notably at the rock of Horeb, where Moses strikes the rock and taps into a spring. God supplies living water even though the murmuring Israelites have complained bitterly about the rigors of their exodus. The Sinai region, like much of Greece, is characterized by a layer of limestone that allows for underground water to issue in springs. If in Greek tradition springs became associated with the inspirations behind the arts, in Hebrew tradition springs issuing in the desert became the sign and symbol of special divine help for God’s wayfaring people. Isaiah, rejoicing in the prospect of the return from exile, presents God saying, “I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys ... so that all may see and know, all may consider and understand, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it” (Is 41:18, 20 NRSV). Characteristically, Isaiah sees the miracle-working power of God as one with his creative power, and this power creates and sustains an ever more inclusive community.

Fountains and springs also provide a traditional language for the movement of God’s Spirit within the individual. The refreshment of one’s spirit, the surge of new strength, the impulse of joy are all evidences of God’s effectual presence. Isaiah offers the powerful assurance that those who pour themselves out for the hungry and afflicted will be satisfied with good things, with renewal of strength and joy: “The Lord will ... make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail” (Is 58:11 NRSV). The prophet had earlier conjoined new strength with God’s presence and salvation. The comforted ones will say, “The Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Is 12:2-3 NRSV). Spiritual life and inner fountain are also identified in Jesus' offer to the Samaritan woman: “The water that I give will become ... a spring of water gushing up to eternal life” (Jn 4:14 NRSV). The assurance in all this is that God’s Spirit within is experienced as a mysterious ever-renewed source, upwelling in fullness of life.

Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, Tremper Longman, ed., “Water,” in Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, (Downer's Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 931.