Thousands of years after they were spoken, written, edited and compiled into the books we read today, Bible texts can still say us much to us now as they did in ancient times. It is only natural that the Word of God, through biblical writings, has freed itself from its origins and burst forth into the ears, mind and hearts of modern believers. Fokkelman notes, “Left to its own devices by the maker, the text goes in search of a competent reader. Once it appears, the text travels through constantly changing times and contexts, always meeting new audiences and always subject to new and different views.” 22 While none of the Bible was originally addressed to the modern-day reader and interpreter, it can be argued that the text is living and constantly changes. “It acquires an ever-growing history and ever-richer contents.” Fokkelman 23 …show more content…
The relevance of the text is evident.” Breuggemann 7 Our world can seem a more confusing, unjust, dangerous and ungodly place than ever before. God’s people everywhere are unquestionably in the middle of hard times, like the suffering Israelites. Heschel puts it beautifully: “The message of Second Isaiah is of no age. It is prophecy tempered with human tears, mixed with a joy that heals all scars, clearing the way for understanding the future in spite of the present. No words have ever gone further in offering comfort when the sick world cries.” Heschel 145 Therefore, the modern audience can gain insights and take many messages from this passage. Some that I believe are significant