Monday, April 4, 2011

Isaiah 1:8

Copyright Ó 2011 J. Neely
Isaiah 1:8

8 And the daughter [bath] of Zion [Tsiyown] is left [yathar] as a cottage [cukkah] in a vineyard, [kerem] as a lodge [maluwnah] in a garden of cucumbers, [miqshah] as a besieged [natsar] city. [`iyr] KJV-Interlinear

8 And the daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, Like a watchman's hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.  NASB

Zion is typically used as a synonym for Jerusalem.

In Abraham’s day, Salem was the city from which the king-priest, Melchisedec ruled.  Centuries later it came under the control of the Jebusites, of whom David defeated and made the city his capital city.

Jerusalem, has several meanings, one of which is the ‘City of God,’ (Salem), the ‘City of Peace’ (Jerusalem), and also carries the connotation of the ‘City of Possession,’ the ‘Possession of Pease,’ the ‘Foundation of Peace.

Other names include, ‘Jebus’ (Joshua, or Jesus), also ‘Hearth of God,’ Isa. 29:1, ‘City of Righteousness,’ Psa. 72:16, Jer. 32:24, the ‘Holy City,’ Isa. 48:2, 52:1, Neh. 11:1.

The word Zion means to be dry (well kept), to set up, to protect and came to mean a fortress.  Zion was the high point in the southern portion of the city of Jerusalem.

The City of David, Jerusalem, and Zion have all been used interchangeably throughout history.  Zion coming to mean the foundation of doctrine, Jerusalem coming to represent the peace of spiritual maturity built on that fortress foundation of doctrine, and City of David representing the Eternal Dynasty of the Savior who will come in the line of David and ruler and source of it all (Son of David, Savior, Messiah, Jesus Christ, etc).

Daughter is a feminine term typically used to describe a beautiful city.  Ps 45:13, the phrase daughter of Tyre, means Tyre; Ps 137:8, daughter of Babylon, means Babylon; Isa 37:22, 'The virgin, the daughter of Zion;' Jere 46:2; Isa 23:12; Jer 14:17; Num 21:23,32, Judg 11:26, means Jerusalem, and so forth.

Therefore the daughter of Zion is the city of Jerusalem, or the beautiful offspring or production of doctrine which is manifested in spiritual maturity and inner peace, represented by the city.

But, when negative volition enters into the life of people, then their inner fortress and peace become dismantled, desolate, and in ruin just as cottage or a lodge in the middle of a vast vineyard or garden.

These structures were generally erected as weather breaks to be used by those who would guard the vineyard or garden, from thieves who would come in and steal and destroy.

But the cottage or the lodge was not a formal house or structure, but more of a wind break and a very temporary shelter, that is not well kept and easily dismantled or ruined over the course of time.

A city under siege paints a picture of the city as the last stronghold, about to fall itself, with its surrounding area already unproductive and in ruins due to the enemy forces controlling the area outside of the city.

In short the city ceases to function and is there only until it, itself is destroyed.  The situation is dismal and the outcome is only a matter of time.  The negative believer is like this city, and like the bruises and sores we studied in the previous verses.  When the inner self is not cared for, then the outer self, and all of your production become moot.  Your spiritual life crumbles around you from lack of upkeep, due to failure in the spiritual life.

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