Isaiah 35:10: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
Oh the wonders of our modern age. I can download the entire 52 volumes of the Babylonian Talmud into a Kindle and carry it with me wherever I go. The first volume I downloaded was the Sanhedrin as this is my favorite and full of surprises.
Clearly Isaiah 35:10 is a reference to the return of the Jews from Babylon. I was reading a reference to this passage in Sanhedrin 110b which indicated that this event is also a reference to the world to come. The entrance to this world to come will be preceded by the sound of a great trumpet which shall be blown drawing all the people out of land of Assyria and Egypt to Jerusalem to worship God. Possible the Apostle Paul was alluding to this in I Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
That raises the question, just what is this world to come? Is it referring to the physical world or the spiritual world. That was hard to determine from reading this tractate in the Talmud but my assumption is that when the Sages referred the future world they were referring both to the return of the Jews who are living to Israel as to those who have died to a life in the heavenly realm.
The word ransomed in Hebrew is padah which comes from an old Assyrian or Akkadian word padu which is used for purchasing property which includes the purchase of slaves. The word ransomed is really an ideal English word to use here for we often use the word ransom in a kidnapping where a relative is forced to make a payment to the kidnappers for the release of a loved one held in captivity.
The word padah is such a beautiful word to use in this context. It creates the picture of being held in slavery or captivity and then having someone that loves us make a sacrifice or payment to purchase us out of slavery. As a Christian I clearly see this as Messianic, a reference to Jesus who paid that price, the highest prices possible, His very life to purchase us, deliver us from slavery or the captivity of the enemy. As a result we will return. This word in Hebrew for return is shuv. This word is sometimes rendered as repent. Sometimes it is used in reference to the spiritual world or the physical world. It has the idea of restoration. However when used with padah a more appropriate rendering of shuv would be to relinquish. When Jesus pays the ransom we are not returned for we were born into sin, we were born into a world that was owned by the enemy. So when Jesus pays the ransom the enemy must relinquish us. Shuv is also used to describe a turning away from something and facing toward something new and different. As Jesus has paid the ransom for our souls that does not automatically release us from the control of the enemy, we must willingly turn away from the enemy and face Jesus our redeemer. Salvation is still an act of our will, it is not automatic, we must shuv turn our backs on the enemy and face Jesus.
When we do we shall come to Zion with songs. Zion here in the Hebrew is a reference to Jerusalem, but because of the double application that the Talmud seems to indicate the writer uses the word Zion rather than Jerusalem because the word Zion can have a double meaning. In its Semitic roots it means a dry parched ground which was a perfect place to build a stronghold. Hence the word Zion came to take on the idea of a stronghold which is what Jerusalem became. Jerusalem with its walled cities is a giant fortress or a refuge. Thus when we are redeemed we come to the stronghold or fortress of God with song. Actually, the word in Hebrew for song is rinnah which is really a shout of joy, victory and triumph. It is like being lost in a desert, dying of thirst and starvation, then suddenly we see a fortress out in the middle of the desert, a place where we can find water, food, rest and comfort. Suddenly all our despair changes to rinnah or a cry of joy and relief.
But note the next line, an everlasting joy upon their heads. The word used here for joy is simchah. This is a joy that you experience during a celebration, a party or festival. People like going to parties and festivals to escape from the cares and pressures of the day. During a party or celebration you don’t think about that bill hanging over your head, the problems at work, the concern of future layoffs, or even your health concerns. For the moment during the celebration all that is laid aside and with family and friends you just rejoice over the event that is being celebrated. Yet simchah is modified with the word ‘olam which means eternal, forever, everlasting. This is our new world that we have to look forward to, a place where we will always be in a state of joy and celebration.
Note it says that it will be upon our heads. This is a direct reference to a cultural norm. Before a celebration the guest are anointed with Frankincense on their foreheads. Frankincense was a prized oil in those days as it was a sort of a sedative and when applied to the head one begins to feel a sense of joy and peace. It would be used to help the guest enter into the joy of the event that was being celebrated. The writer is saying that God will continually anoint us with this joy and peace in the new world.
Then is says that we will obtain joy and gladness. The word obtain is nasag which means to reach out and take hold of. God will anoint us with joy but we need to also reach out and take hold of simchah or joy. When we enter that banquet hall of God through salvation Jesus will anoint us with joy, but then when we enter that banquet hall we will find many things in that hall that can bring us joy and gladness, the food, the wine, the music and the fellowship. It is there for us, for out taking, but many Christians refuse to reach out and take it, they prefer to crawl under yon rock and dwell on their cares and concerns. Jesus approaches and says, “Come, join the party, let us rejoice together, but we say, “No, I’d rather sit her under yon rock and sulk.” All Jesus can say is, “Well, ok for you, but the caterers have just arrived and that gefilte fish looks awfully good.” But you just sit back and stare at those lox and bagels and think, I am just too worried about those layoffs to eat and enjoy the food. But if you reach out for the joys of your salvation and grab hold of it. If you decided to joy in on the worship service and maybe dance and clap you may find that your sorrow and sighing will noos, that is take flight, depart, disappear, and flee away.
Recent Comments