What were the challenges that faced the first hearers of Isaiah’s words?21
The Rock from Which We Were Hewn
Lectio
Listen to these voices from the past to hear how our spiritual ancestors remembered the lives of Abraham and Sarah. Pay attention to the ways they exhort people of every age to gain strength in present challenges.
ISAIAH 51:1–2
1Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,
you that seek the LORD.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the quarry from which you were dug.
2Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah who bore you;
for he was but one when I called him,
but I blessed him and made him many.
SIRACH 44:19–21
19Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations,
And no one has been found like him in glory.
20He kept the law of the Most High,
and entered into a covenant with him;
he certified the covenant with his flesh,
and when he was tested he proved faithful.
21Therefore the Lord assured him with an oath
that the nations would be blessed through his offspring;
that he would make him as numerous as the dust of the earth,
and exalt his offspring like the stars,
and give them an inheritance from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
Reflect on these poetic texts in order to understand the outlook of your ancestors and make it your own.
This passage from the prophet Isaiah was written during the exile of the Jewish people in Babylon (sixth century BC). Though the exiles have remained faithful to God, they are discouraged and disheartened by their captivity and seeming powerlessness. They fear that, even if they are able to return to Judah, they will not be able to face the overwhelming task of restoring their homeland because they are so weak and few in number. Isaiah offers these exiles an encouraging message, calling them to look back to the example of their ancestors, Abraham and Sarah.
Though these exiles lived well over a thousand years after the lives of Abraham and Sarah, the prophet still holds up these ancestors as the inspiring model for their descendants to imitate. The metaphors of “rock” and “quarry” (Isa. 51:1) refer to the solid conviction and foundational source of faith offered by Israel’s patriarch and matriarch.
Though Abraham was elderly and childless when he was called, God “blessed him and made him many” (Isa. 51:2). Based on God’s assurances to Abraham, the exiles can be confident that God will bless them with strength and abundance as they prepare to make the same journey as Abraham, returning to their home in the Promised Land. The promises made to Abraham continue to be fulfilled in every age.
The book of Sirach was written by a Jewish teacher in Jerusalem (second century BC) who wanted to instill within his young students a loving respect for the traditions of their ancestors. Sirach wanted to help his students find a balance between living in the contemporary world and respecting the faith of their ancestors. The final chapters of his work consist of a poetic hymn of praise to the heroes of Israel’s past, seeking to motivate his young hearers to similar loyalty.
Sirach refers to Abraham as “the great father of a multitude of nations” (Sir. 44:19). He then lists four of Abraham’s outstanding merits: he kept God’s law, he made a covenant with God, he certified the covenant through circumcision, and he proved faithful when he was tested (Sir. 44:20). In response, God assured Abraham of three promises: the nations would be blessed through his offspring, his progeny would be as numerous as the dust of the earth and as exalted as the stars, and his posterity would receive a vast inheritance (Sir. 44:21). “Sea to sea” and “to the ends of the earth” express an idealistic expanse and the universal breadth of Abraham’s blessings.
After hearing these voices of the past, answer these questions:
What were the challenges that faced the first hearers of Isaiah’s words?
What did Sirach wish to do for his young listeners?
Why is it so challenging to live in the contemporary world while respecting the faith of one’s ancestors?
Meditatio
Reflect on the words of these texts as if they were spoken to you. Allow the words of encouragement to lift you up.
In what areas of my life do I feel discouraged and powerless? What word of hope do these Scriptures offer to me?
Why are the terms “rock” and “quarry” effective metaphors for describing the role of our biblical ancestors?
In what way could Abraham be a model and inspiration for young people today? What qualities does he inspire in the young?
Oratio
Respond to God’s Word to you with your own words to God. Speak from your heart in response to the hope you have been offered.
Most High God, you called our ancestors to a committed life in covenant with you. Help me to learn from their example and be inspired by their heroism so that I may leave a legacy to the generations after me.
Continue to express your hopes, desires, struggles, and commitment . . .
Contemplatio
In silent stillness, place yourself under the loving gaze of God and allow God to fill your heart with his divine presence. Entrust your future to God.
Write a few words about the confidence and conviction that fills your heart.
Operatio
Exhorted by God’s Word, what new hope and renewed sense of mission have I received? How will my life be different today after encountering God through these Scriptures?