The period of YeshaYahu
One of the greatest and most outstanding of the prophets of Yisrael
YeshaYahu had already appeared on the scene at the time of King Ahaz and before that of Hezekiah. We shall encounter him again, quite shortly, in the reign of Manasseh. But quite clearly the period of his decisive action was under Hezekiah. And so a rapid sketch of the moral portrait of this man, who was one of the greatest and most outstanding of the prophets of Yisrael, falls naturally into place here.
Undoubtedly he was inspired; he has every appearance of the typical prophet, examples of whom we have already encountered in Amos and Hosea. But more than his predecessors he experienced visions and wonders. There is the opening scene, for example, in the Tabernacle when he was invested with his office by YAHWEH. He hears YAHWEH (YeshaYahu 5:9; 22:14) with his 'own ears'. Before the gate of the city he proclaims oracles (1: 1-6) or laments foretelling future misfortunes (1:21-28). We find him walking naked and barefooted in the streets of the city, predicting the deportations (YeshaYahu 20). He performs unusual symbolic actions to predict the tragic events that are to occur. And to gain respect for his prophecies he is not afraid on occasions to state a definite time when his predictions can be verified (YeshaYahu 7:16; 29:1).
He is a prophet, of course, but one with unfailing political sense which makes him comparable with a genuine statesman well equipped to guide, in all wisdom and great shrewdness, the diplomacy of the kingdom of Yahudah. From this point of view, in all the centuries which we have so far examined, the only figure comparable with him is David.
YeshaYahu's Spiritual Testament; faith as the very condition for the existence of Yisrael
With so outstanding and rich a personality as YeshaYahu's we can expect many astonishing revelations. Of all the prophets YeshaYahu is possibly the one who most of all insisted on the idea of faith as the very condition for the existence of Yisrael: 'If you do not believe, you will not stand at all' (YeshaYahu 7:9). For the Judaean of the seventh century 'to believe' was to realize that YAHWEH is present in all circumstances. In this way YAHWEH guides the history of the world. So after paying entire homage, after gladly obeying the commandments of the Law, the creature must leave all to the Master of the Universe. That is what was meant by faith.
Another idea dear to YeshaYahu, and often emphasized by him, was the indestructibility of the Chosen People. An exemplary, well-deserved punishment, of course must be expected -Yisrael and its capital Samaria had already disappeared, territorially speaking, Yahudah and Yerusalem were to go in their turn, and at no distant date; but a remnant was to survive, a remnant would return to YAHWEH, a small group would be tried by fire to become the keystone of the new spiritual Tabernacle. And that was hope.
On the other hand, as we have seen, on several occasions YeshaYahu made astounding prophecies about the future when he as it were glimpsed the mysterious figure of 'Immanuel', the set apart King, the incarnation of the loftiest virtue. And that was Messianism.
If in a few words we had to state the profound character of YeshaYahu's message it could best be done by saying that he came to reveal the 'set apartness of YAHWEH'.
Indeed the first vision which took place in the Tabernacle in Yerusalem shows quite clearly the trend of his later preaching. In this vision seraphs were flying round the central figure of YAHWEH, singing the triumphal verse:
Qadash, set apart, set apart is YAHWEH Sabaoth.
His honour fills the whole earth. (YeshaYahu 6:3)
It should be noted that in Semitic languages the adjective 'set apart' does not have the meaning of eminent spiritual purity, of the loftiest moral eminence, that we give to it today. The set apart Being is 'set apart' because he is inaccessible, unapproachable by man. Set apartness can therefore be regarded at this period as the synonym of what theologians call 'transcendence' -YAHWEH's greatness, honour, majesty.
But in the vocabulary of prophecy, then in the full ferment of development, we can perhaps discern the origin of new and dynamic ideas. Increasingly this 'set apartness' of YAHWEH led the believer himself to set himself apart from the profane milieu surrounding him, and, in the next place, from sin that reigned supreme in the groups of primitive peoples.
It is not the least of the honours of Hezekiah's century that it enabled YeshaYahu to give his message to the world.
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