Opus 2024-256: The Value of Focus

I just finished reading the Old Testament book of Isaiah.  What makes it worthy of note to me is that it was a focused read.  By “focused” I mean that I was really trying to pay attention as I read.  When I was a child and in a Bible reading contest I would “read” in a way that was really skimming or scanning.  Retention was not on the list of priorities.  I still find myself doing that with books that I want to finish quickly or if my mind wanders.  

It is a much more interesting experience when you are paying attention.

I remember from my college and seminary days that the scholars we today might call “woke” were talking about Deutro-Isaiah and even Trito-Isaiah.  They claimed that they had discovered something that the original Hebrew speakers had missed:  Isaiah was not written by Isaiah but by three different authors.  I would guess that there are other scholars out there who are extending the list to many more than three.  Keep in mind that scholars must publish and they get more publicity when they make startling discoveries.  Also keep in mind that their scholarship starts from the point of view that the Bible is the product of primitive, ignorant, superstitious, mud-hut dwellers who need modern, cultured, educated paragons to clarify what they said.  They also assume that they, as enlightened moderns, have a better idea of what God wanted to say than the Holy Spirit could produce.

I enjoyed the journey through Isaiah.  It helps when you pay attention.  I can see how someone who is a pagan in Christian clothing and needing his name on a book cover could come up with more than one author.  There is a different flavor to different parts of the book.  That is the nature of real authors.  They tend to write different when they have a headache than when they are at the cusp of health.  Picture accusing your Grandmother of not making the casserole because it tastes different than it did last week.  I guess these scholars are fortunate that God does not carry a cast iron skillet to apply to the side of their head.

Reading Isaiah reinforced some of my reservations about prophecy.  I remain convinced that much of prophecy was not meant for us to understand 2,000 years later.  I would even guess that Isaiah had the locals scratching their heads much of the time.  Layered in the sandwich of glorious word pictures and literary devices where some good lessons and some prophecy that is clearly applicable.  The amusing thing is that some of the things that would have been a mystery to them in ancient Israel have become clear to us today.

My plan is to now read through it again and maybe do a deeper dive.  That is my intent.  I hope it does not end up in the freezer with the leftovers from Grandma’s casserole.

homo unius libri