Haftarah Ekev
“Rhetorical Questions Answered”
Isaiah 49:14-51:3
excerpted from TorahScope Haftarah Exhortations
As our Torah instruction moves through the Book of Deuteronomy, following the traditional fast of the Ninth of Av, the Haftarah selections for the seven weeks of consolation remain in the Book of Isaiah. Our passage for this week, Isaiah 49:14-51:3, includes many thought provoking questions, which the Prophet rhetorically used to incite his audience to think and reflect upon the Holy One of Israel. Surely in this period of consolation and reflection, as hearts are being prepared through the month of Elul, to the Ten Days of Awe culminating in the Day of Atonement—asking questions is appropriate. Perhaps the questions raised about our God, will prompt seekers to question their own hearts and motivations.
As you take some time to read and reflect upon this section of Isaiah, you will note that the passage begins with Zion concerned that the Lord has forsaken it. But by the time you arrive to read the concluding verses, you find that despite the appearance of abandonment, the Lord will ultimately comfort Zion and return it to an idyllic state similar to what existed in Eden. The first question relates, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?” To this question, the Lord adamantly answers, “yet I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15, WMB). This Haftarah reading is book-ended by comforting words at the end of the passage, with “For the LORD has comforted Zion. He has comforted all her waste places, and has made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in them, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody” (Isaiah 51:3, WMB).
In between these promises, some specific rhetorical questions are asked:
- “Who has conceived these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children and am alone, an exile, and wandering back and forth? Who has brought these up? Behold, I was left alone. Where were these?” (Isaiah 49:21, WMB).
- “Shall the plunder be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered?” (Isaiah 49:24, WMB).
- “The LORD says, ‘Where is the bill of your mother’s divorce, with which I have put her away? Or to which of my creditors have I sold you?’” (Isaiah 50:1, WMB).
- “Why, when I came, was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it can’t redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?” (Isaiah 50:2, WMB)
- “He who justifies me is near. Who will bring charges against me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me” (Isaiah 50:8, WMB).
- “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? He who walks in darkness and has no light” (Isaiah 50:10, WMB).
Each time you read these queries, the answers are evident to all who truly fear God. When you can learn to absolutely appreciate His omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence, then you know that He will never leave or forsake you. Nothing which is created, can overcome the combination of the love and power of protection, which the Almighty has for those who are called His own—even though He at times has to use others to chastise them. It is possible that Paul thought about these very questions, when he wrote,
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from God’s love which is in Messiah Yeshua our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39, WMB).
Just read and understand how the Lord defends His people who pursue righteousness:
“But the LORD says, ‘Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the plunder retrieved from the fierce, for I will contend with him who contends with you and I will save your children. I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh; and they will be drunk on their own blood, as with sweet wine. Then all flesh shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob’” (Isaiah 49:25-26, WMB).
“Listen to me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the LORD. Look to the rock you were cut from, and to the quarry you were dug from. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for when he was but one I called him, I blessed him, and made him many” (Isaiah 51:1-2, WMB).
The more you read these selected passages from Isaiah, the more you should be prompted to read all of them in context. Discover the comforting joy of knowing that the Holy One of Israel, is intimately involved in preserving and maintaining His loving relationship with His people. We even find that the Lord has Zion continually before Him, as if His people were literally inscribed upon the palms of His hands:
“But Zion said, ‘The LORD has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, these may forget, yet I will not forget you! Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are continually before me. Your children hurry. Your destroyers and those who devastated you will leave you. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: all these gather themselves together, and come to you. ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘you shall surely clothe yourself with them all as with an ornament, and dress yourself with them, like a bride. For, as for your waste and your desolate places, and your land that has been destroyed, surely now that land will be too small for the inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away. The children of your bereavement will say in your ears, “This place is too small for me. Give me a place to live in.” Then you will say in your heart, “Who has conceived these for me, since I have been bereaved of my children and am alone, an exile, and wandering back and forth? Who has brought these up? Behold, I was left alone. Where were these?”’ The Lord GOD says, ‘Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and lift up my banner to the peoples. They shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; and those who wait for me won’t be disappointed.’ Shall the plunder be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captives be delivered? But the LORD says, ‘Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the plunder retrieved from the fierce, for I will contend with him who contends with you and I will save your children. I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh; and they will be drunk on their own blood, as with sweet wine. Then all flesh shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.’ The LORD says, ‘Where is the bill of your mother’s divorce, with which I have put her away? Or to which of my creditors have I sold you? Behold, you were sold for your iniquities, and your mother was put away for your transgressions. Why, when I came, was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it can’t redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a wilderness. Their fish stink because there is no water, and die of thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness. I make sackcloth their covering.’ The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with words him who is weary. He awakens morning by morning, he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught. The Lord GOD has opened my ear. I was not rebellious. I have not turned back. I gave my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who plucked off the hair. I didn’t hide my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord GOD will help me. Therefore I have not been confounded. Therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I won’t be disappointed. He who justifies me is near. Who will bring charges against me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD will help me! Who is he who will condemn me? Behold, they will all grow old like a garment. The moths will eat them up. Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? He who walks in darkness and has no light, let him trust in the LORD’s name, and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who adorn yourselves with torches around yourselves, walk in the flame of your fire, and among the torches that you have kindled. You will have this from my hand: you will lie down in sorrow. Listen to me, you who follow after righteousness, you who seek the LORD. Look to the rock you were cut from, and to the quarry you were dug from. Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you; for when he was but one I called him, I blessed him, and made him many. For the LORD has comforted Zion. He has comforted all her waste places, and has made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in them, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody” (Isaiah 49:14-51:3, WMB).
Let the words of Isaiah comfort you, as they have comforted countless others throughout the generations. Stand rest assured that the Lord will never leave or forsake His people. However, let us always remember that He will discipline and test His people as it is warranted. Never forget the admonition from this week’s Torah portion (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25), which reminds readers of how God’s people are to humbly walk before Him, recognizing how men and women are not to live by bread alone, but from everything which proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord:
“You shall remember all the way which the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, to test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, allowed you to be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you didn’t know, neither did your fathers know, that he might teach you that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the LORD’s mouth” (Deuteronomy 8:2-3, WMB).
A further warning which must be considered, addresses the punishment for forgetting the Lord God, and going after other gods:
“But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as it is today. It shall be, if you shall forget the LORD your God, and walk after other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you shall surely perish” (Deuteronomy 8:19-20, WMB).
The way to avoid the punishment is to humble yourself, by circumcising your heart and not stiffening your neck:
“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff-necked” (Deuteronomy 10:16, WMB).
As we are comforted by the words of Isaiah this week, let us never forget how we have the personal responsibility to recognize where our blessings come from. We have to keep our hearts softened, and our necks humbly bent, toward the Great Provider. Surely, the Holy One of Israel is our great and comforting God, who not only keeps His eye upon the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 11:12), but to each and every one of His children.
The Holy One of Israel is our God and there is none other!
