Ob and In:
v.1-3 Reflection God's glory to the nations
1. Repeated words or phrases:
v.1: Arise! Shine! are the commands to Israel. But how?
For your light arrives! The splendor of the LORD shines on you the light, and the Splendor are the 2 sources of light that comes to Israel. And from these lights Israel can shine.
(NICOT) The wonder of this chapter is that the glory of the Lord is to be reflected from Israel...
2 For, look, darkness covers the earth
and deep darkness covers the nations, the situation in the rest of the world is very different than Israel. Everyone else is covered by darkness.
but the LORD shines on you;
his splendor appears over you.
3 Nations come to your light,
kings to your bright light. The nation are attracted by the light reflected by Israel. People no longer hates the light and hide in the darkness like John 3:19-20, but they will come to the light.
Reflection: Knowing that how powerful is the splendor of the LORD and the LORD Himself to attract people, would I reflect His glory and shine? Not my glory, but a reflection of His glory. Who He is, what He has done on me should be told to others. Maybe people will not be attracted nowadays, but in the future, they will be attracted.
v.4-6 The nations’ wealth to come to Israel.
2. The voice and mood of the descriptions
4 Look all around you!...
5 Then you will look and smile,
you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride...
6... All the merchants of Sheba will come,
bringing gold and incense
and singing praises to the LORD.
(NICOT) These verses speak of the amazement that the coming of the nations will provoke in Israel. Long conditioned to think of herself as the butt of other nations’ aggressive instincts, she will find it almost impossible to believe when the nations begin to come acquiescingly to her. When the nations come, they will bring two things with them: Israel’s sons and daughters and the wealth of the world. As mentioned above on v. 3, however, they do not come in order to bring these. They are coming to the light of God, and as they come, they bring the children and the wealth.
Reflection: Am I like the Israelites that I will not believe that the people of God will have pride? When the people come to God, bringing with them their riches from sea and roads, they come to sing praises to the LORD will I believe that? All the Middle East countries who are enemies now with Israel? The Midians and Ephahite? The merchants from Sheba? Look all around you! In future, they will.
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