The writing of Isaiah the Prophet

It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"-- (Mark 1:2)

Mark now is quoting the writing of Isaiah the Prophet. It is clearly written by Isaiah but we accept it as God’s word. Mark also might think it as God’s word. Here we face very troublesome problem. The problem is how we can think the writing of the authors of the Bible as God’s word. Is it that God tells the prophets actually? Expressing it a little more plainly, does it signify that God actually speak? Or a man though speaks actually but we accept is as God’s word for it is the truth? Is “the writing of Isaiah the Prophet’ Isaiah’s? Or of God? Let’s simplify this question. Why Isaiah’s writing is the word of God?

Looking it at level of historical fact, the Book of Isaiah was accepted as the word of God by the incident that Judaism made a decision to accept 39 documents as the cannons among the holy document of the Old Testaments in the Jamnia meeting in AD 70. Then is not Isaiah God’s word before canonize? And the documents that weren’t recognized as the Cannon are not the word of God? Such question can be applied in the New Testaments it is not only the matter of mere scholastic curiosity but also is an actual matter directly related to our faith life. It is because we believe God’s word is the only authority cited to ordain our life.

Preachers often insist that they are preaching in substitution for God’s word. Those who goes a little further they are preaching as they have heard the word of God in their prayer. The misunderstanding about God’s word occur such egregious folly. God doesn’t meet man directly. Those who see God dies. How can we see the reality of the world? It is impossible for a limited man to meet and hear directly the word his word who is the owner of the ultimate life including life and death unless and until he dies.

The Book of Isaiah is not the word as the sound or writing that God had directly given to Isaiah. He interpreted the world where he was living by looking into the spiritual depth. He interpreted the destiny of his nation which was confronted with a crisis at the sight of God who is the Creator, the king of justice and peace. We have to see that God speaks to the people in this world in this way. Those who are able to understand God’s word when God talks they are rightly a prophet. God told to Israel people through Isaiah for he had sharp spiritual ears. Mark was explaining about John the Baptist who was to prepare the way of the Lord through the very ‘Prophet Isaiah’s writing’. Mark met God’s word through Isaiah’s writing and we today are meeting with God’s word though the Gospel of Mark. God’s word reveals himself through such spiritually awaken people, that is, the Prophets. It may be rightly history of revelation and salvation. Our life is hanging on the moment of such history.