Daily Retreat 07/15/08

2008 Jul 15 Tue: Weekday Is 7: 1-9/ Ps 47(48): 2-3a. 3b-4. 5-6. 7-8/ Mt 11: 20-24 From today's readings:  "Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!...  God upholds His city for ever....  Jesus began to reproach the towns where most of His mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented." Intriguing Intricacies Chapter 7 is a crucial part of the book of Isaiah - the beginning of the prophecies about Emmanuel (see especially 7:14 "the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and call His name "Emmanuel").  The verses today give only a sketch of the complicated political background, introducing King Ahaz.  At that time (about 734 BC), the Assyrian empire was on the rise in the east, and so the northern kingdom of Israel allied with Aram (Syria) to resist the inevitable Assyrian expansion, asking the southern kingdom of Judah to join in the resistance.  Because King Ahaz refused to join the alliance, Israel and Aram then attacked Judah in order to force cooperation by enthroning a sympathetic king: "Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force, and appoint the son of Tabeel king there."  More historical background can be found in chapter 16 of the Second Book of Kings. Isaiah brings an encouraging message to Ahaz, assuring him that the alliance against him would come to naught.  Ahaz, however, is already set on making his own unholy alliance with Assyria itself, which explains why he wasn't really interested in Isaiah's message (cf. 7:12), even though it was Good News! So basically, Isaiah counseled the king to put aside all political scheming in favor of faith in God, but Ahaz is content to just do things his own way, which led not only to the destruction of the northern kingdom in 722 by the Assyrians, but also to the subjugation of the southern kingdom as a vassal state.  The lesson is clear: rejection of the direction God gives always leads to disaster, especially when we arrogantly assume, as did Ahaz, that we know better!