Today, I am reading and commenting on  Isaiah 48-51.

Many Bible scholars believe that this portion of Isaiah, starting with chapter 34, was written by someone other than Isaiah at a later time (usually, they believe after the fall of Babylon to Cyrus).  As someone who believes in the supernatural and miracles I have no problem believing that Isaiah wrote about the fall of Babylon before Babylon defeated Assyria.  However, there is merit to the idea that the writing style is different in this later portion of the book from the earlier portion.  I can also believe that a writer during the Exile might append their own thoughts to those of the prophet Isaiah.  Nevertheless, I am convinced that this portion was written before the fall of Babylon (although perhaps after the fall of Jerusalem).  The prophet predicted the fall of Babylon to Cyrus before it happened as evidence to those he was writing that God had more knowledge and power than any of the idols which some of them worshiped during the Exile.

Further down in today’s passage the prophet makes an interesting metaphor concerning light.  Usually, the writers of the Bible (Old and New Testament) refer to light as coming from God, but here the writer does something different.  He writes the following:

Who among you fears the Lord
    and obeys the word of his servant?
Let the one who walks in the dark,
    who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
    and rely on their God.
 But now, all you who light fires
    and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires
    and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
    You will lie down in torment.

Here, the ones who obey God have no light.  They are walking in the darkness.  Actually, I think he means that everyone walks in darkness, but those who do not rely on God attempt to make a light for themselves.  The writer tells us not to attempt to provide our own light.  He tells us that if we attempt to provide our own light we will lie down in torment.  Instead, we should rely on God and trust Him.   If we pursue righteousness and seek the Lord, He will instruct us and He will provide light to us by way of His justice.  So, the prophet is warning us against trying to make our own light, our own justice.  Instead, let us trust God and walk by the light He will provide us, walk in His definition of justice.  The prophet goes on to tell us not to be terrified by the insults of mere mortals.  Let us take God’s instruction to heart, even when others attempt to intimidate us into following what they call justice.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.