A reflection on Isaiah 60:1-6 & Psalm 72:1-7 & 10-14 for Wednesday, January 6, 2021.
Arise, shine; for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant;
your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
A multitude of camels shall cover you,
the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
all those from Sheba shall come.
They shall bring gold and frankincense,
and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord.
Isaiah 60:1-6 (NRSVA)
Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more…
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
all nations give him service.
For he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.
Psalm 72:1-7 & 10-14 (NRSVA)
‘Epiphany’ is something of an old way of saying appearing or revealing.
In the context of the incarnation it marks the moment of recognition of Jesus as the one sent from God. It celebrates the light appearing in our darkness.
We do well to turn to Isaiah on such an occasion. His prophecy of a light shining into the darkness of the earth is a powerful metaphor. Here we have people – nations – from the whole earth attracted to the dawning of the Lord.
It is a sunrise image.
The immediate result of this rising here is visibility. The first part of this prophecy establishes a world in darkness and the arrival of a great and compelling light. The second part asks the reader to see:
Lift up your eyes and look around;
they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from far away,
and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
Then you shall see and be radiant…
The reader is to see – and note – the arrival of the many being drawn to the light. They are invited to notice the arrival of the nations.
This expectation has strong echoes of the reign of Solomon and the memory of the world flocking to the kingdom God established under him. As the memory of 1 Kings establishes – behind this extraordinary rise was a God-purpose: to witness to the world.
YHWH always had a vision to draw all the earth.
Sadly, Solomon’s reign not only drew the nation. It also led him – and Israel with him – to other – far lesser gods. He nurtured their worship appointing and training priests to work in these temples. In the end he was so consumed by his own power that he refused to repent when his path was revealed and another anointed in replacement of him. Everything is down hill from there.
At least until the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
Perhaps it is no surprise that with this devastating history the indication of the dawning God’s restoration is the arrival of the nations once more – and the bring their mysterious gifts: gold and frankincense.
Perhaps it is no surprise that sitting alongside Isaiah’s vision is Psalm 72. It is a prayer for a king of grace toward the poor, unnatural longevity, and expresses the hope that the nations will once again voluntarily come in tribute.
The loss of the place Israel held on the world stage under Solomon must have still stung as this prayer was written.
Next to Isaiah, however, it becomes a prayer for God’s promised restoration. Epiphany is a vision of hope fulfilled.
Conversation Starters:
What are the things that remind you that the light of Christ has come? When are you most likely to recognise this?
What is your story of ‘attraction’ to the light of Israel?