Isaiah 9 discourages Semitism

 Isaiah 9 discourages Semitism

[Note: I apply Genesis-1 perspective to Bible interpretation. I think Genesis 1:26-28, in the-metaphysical-Jesus-messages (MJM), given each 1) mysterious-God, offering appreciation to human being (verb) and 2) MJM’s “my peace”, suggests that:  Male unites-to female human-being (noun) and their spouse-hood can& may pursue comprehensive-safety& security to the living species and to the earth (SECURITY). Every person can& may accept personal duty to SECURITY. Some persons neglect, partially or wholly, God-appreciation, MJM-my-peace& SECURITY.

I call Genesis-1’s message, “responsible-human-independence” or RHI. A few human-beings throughout history seemed to practice, facilitate, and encourage RHI; for example, Albert Einstein. From the past, RHI-individuals guide us and other persons warn of error. I think the authentic-Jesus practiced, facilitated& encouraged RHI.

But I don’t know the-ineluctable-truth. “Ineluctable” means: not to be avoided, changed, escaped, neglected, or resisted: I can& may choose either RHI or dependency, such as religious arrogance.

Persons appreciating contemporary human being (verb), during each generation, develop the MJM I advocate. In other words, I attribute to MJM the civic-appreciation that human being (verb) applied “before Abraham was born” and since then. “Civic” means reliable-in human connections& transactions more than compliant-to civil/legal rules. Given the question, “Was Jesus a man?”, my response -- “I don’t know, yet value MJM”, seems sufficient& complete to my person. I advocate the secular Jesus.

Perhaps MJM always was the-good human being (verb). That potential was present at the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago. There’s joy in accepting that I don’t know, seeking ineluctable-evidence, and reserving humility to RHI.

It seems the-laws-of-physics& progeny (PHYSICS) constrains the consequences of each person’s choices. That is, the laws of forces, mathematics, chemistries, biology, and psychology and their subsets. I choose to accept mysterious-God appreciation and pursue Jesus’ “my-peace”, in-order-to commit-to and trust-in PHYSICS. For example, I work for food& shelter rather than accept what a bureaucrat might provide. I work to aid SECURITY rather than pray for an entity to usurp RHI.]

9 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali [these two lands and Issachar represent the northern tribal lands east of Galilee, to become Jesus’ principal living and teaching territory], but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—[Northern Jews could travel to the middle kingdoms along the Jordan River and to the south kingdoms from the Dead Sea.]

² The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned. [If this is recognition& acceptance that only humankind can& may pursue comprehensive-safety& security to live on earth, it’s very good. Verse 3 suggests that the harvest is God’s approval.]
³ You have enlarged the nation [Does this refer to the 12 tribes or to Judah only?]
    and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder. [Is this attitude to be shared with descendants? I would not want to inherit this aggression& arrogance.]
⁴ For as in the day of Midian’s defeat [Judges 7:  Therein, God needed fewer Gideon soldiers to demonstrate favor over the Midianites.],
    you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,
    the rod of their oppressor. [Are the plunderers claiming victimhood?]
⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
    will be fuel for the fire. [Relief through fire--destruction?]
⁶ For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [Can we, civic-citizens of 2023, segue from these words to the son of man (quoting Jesus in Luke 9:58 and about 80 other times)?]
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
    there will be no end. [The New Testament suggests end times.]
He will reign on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom, [Do civic-citizens want to lessen Jesus to the continuation of David’s kingdom?]
establishing and upholding it
    with justice and righteousness
    from that time on and forever. [The New Testament suggests end times.]
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this. [Will that zeal uphold the-laws-of-physics?]

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

⁸ The Lord has sent a message against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
⁹ All the people will know it—
    Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria—
who say with pride
    and arrogance of heart,
¹⁰ “The bricks have fallen down,
    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;
the fig trees have been felled,
    but we will replace them with cedars.”
¹¹ But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s foes [Judah?] against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.
¹² Arameans from the east and Philistines from the west
    have devoured Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.

¹³ But the people have not returned to him who struck them,
    nor have they sought the Lord Almighty.
¹⁴ So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
    both palm branch and reed in a single day;
¹⁵ the elders and dignitaries are the head,
    the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
¹⁶ Those who guide this people mislead them,
    and those who are guided are led astray.
¹⁷ Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,
    nor will he pity the fatherless and widows, [The Code of Hammurabi (Babylonian improvement of Sumerian codes) defends orphans and widows.]
for everyone is ungodly and wicked,
    every mouth speaks folly. [Men can& may independently pursue security to life.]

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.

¹⁸ Surely wickedness burns like a fire;
    it consumes briers and thorns,
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,
    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹ By the wrath of the Lord Almighty
    the land will be scorched
and the people will be fuel for the fire;
    they will not spare one another. [I neither propose nor accommodate fear toward whatever constrains the choices human beings make. I advocate statutory-justice, intending to reform errant fellow-citizens.]
²⁰ On the right they will devour,
    but still be hungry;
on the left they will eat,
    but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring:
²¹     Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;
    together they will turn against Judah. [The tribes wage internal war, much like Baptist churches compete rather than collaborate.]

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
    his hand is still upraised.

[With Isaiah 9’s God-war-attitudes representing Jewish culture, I see no basis for Semitism and encourage nations and persons to focus on humankind rather than on groups.]