Taking the long view – Beyond Nineveh and Nazareth

Our long journey began in Beyond Nineveh with a look at Jonah, a reluctant Prophet who preached repentance to the largest city on earth. {Read about the beginning of our journey in the link above.} From Jonah’s home in the Galilean hills, Jerusalem would have seemed like a modern day New York City [Population 8.4 Million] compared to nearby towns of Nazareth and Capernaum.

Just like Jerusalem compared to Nineveh, New York City pales by comparison to a distant city like Karachi Pakistan [Population 27.5 Million souls]. A familiar New York City is smaller even than two cities in China, Shanghai [24.3 Million] and Beijing [21.5 Million].

The Lord sends Jonah to seek repentance from a distant unfamiliar city. Instead, Jonah sailed toward modern-day Spain rather than journey east toward modern-day Mosul Iraq. In fact, these foreigners repented!

Isaiah Preaches Repentance and More

Prior to the fall of Jerusalem many prophets foretold destruction by several conquering empires. One additional perspective of these turbulent times comes from the prophesies of Isaiah.  Yet a distant look Beyond Nazareth reveals hope of a Redeemer and Messiah. How distant? More than seven centuries.

Isaiah 52:7

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

A Long Time from Nineveh to Nazareth

We see jews made refugees not long after Jonah won non-believers in Nineveh to the Lord. Jerusalem captured, spared then rebuilt; conquered again and again (just as before). In first century Galilee powerful Rome to the west subdues all the Mediterranean. Israel (long defeated) doubts a prophet of note could reside in Nazareth [see John 1:46]. But a Prophet, yes more than a Prophet, would be called by others: Jesus of Nazareth. All would ask, is he the Messiah?

Isaiah Prophesies a Far-distant Hope

Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.

As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—

so shall he sprinkle many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.

Isaiah 52:13-15

A son of man, suffering servant of the LORD; Jesus of Nazareth became best remembered for His Holy and Perfect Sacrifice of love on the cross. The distant time was eight hundred years before Christ and Isaiah spoke accurately of the pivotal event in the history of mankind.

Isaiah 53: Description of the Messiah

Now, twenty-one centuries after Jesus of Nazareth, scripture speaks to us – to the believer and to the sceptic in distant lands:

Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

Prior to the fall of Jerusalem, before the rebuilding centuries later, centuries before Jesus of Nazareth the Prophet Isaiah describes our loving Lord.

For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.

 

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Does the world esteem God? Is the Lord not saddened by our grievous sin?

Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.

To be continued…