Reading for March 1st

 Read Isaiah 6.1-13. In 6.1-13: The prophet's call and commission. In verses 1-8: The year in which King uzziah died is not precisely known, but his death occurred sometime between 742 and736 BCE. The king (also called Azariah, 2 Kings 15.1-7) had been stricken with severe illness (2 Kings 15.5), which meant that his son Jotham served for a time as co-regent with him before succeeding to the throne (2 Kings 15.7). This co-regent period must be included in the sixteen years ascribed Jotham's reign (2 Kings 15.33). It was in this time that the major conflict arose between an alliance of Syria-Israel (Ephraim) and Judah (2 Kings 15.37). The central issue was resistance against Assyria expansion in the region (see 2 Kings 15.17-20). Judah's neighbors intended to remove Ahaz from his throne and replace him with an otherwise unknown figure called Tabeel (7.6). Isaiah's call therefore came to cause sever political up heaveal in the region. In verses 9-10: The sharp irony of the commission given to Isaiah implies awareness of the popular hostility to his message and the people's refusal to accept it (see 8.11-15).  In verse 11: One of Isaiah's central warnings is that the entire land of Israel will be ruined because the rejection of God's message. The continuing relevance of these prophecies led to their preservation in this book. In verses 12-13: The cruel Assyrian policy of exiling whole populations (see 36.17) is reflected in this warning. The further threat that, even after severe devastation, the land will be burned again reflects later awareness of deportations by both Assyrian and Babylonian armies. Comments or Questions..