Reading for June 7th

Read Isaiah 34.1-17. In 34.1-17: the Lord's day of vengence. Taken together, chs. 34-35 provide a sequel to the prophecies of chs. 24-27, with which they are closely related both in theme and character. The major exception is the warning of the divine punishment that is to be fall the people of Edom (34.5-17), a nation that is unexpectedly absent from the foreign peoples included in chs. 13-23. Their inclusion separately at this point may reflect a sharp condemenation of their treacherous role after the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylonian forces in 587 BCE. In verses 1-4: The opening addresses all nations and peoples with a fearsome warning of judgment to come upon them all, similar to the warning of 24.1-23. In verses 5-17: The especially ierce and bloodthirsty warning of the judgment that is to befall Edom foretells that this land will be reduced to a total ruin, with all its population annihilated (vv. 9-13). It will become a home for wild animals, instead of a place of human habitation (vv. 14-17). Comments and Questions..