This scripture uses two word pictures that we
sometimes miss. I know that there is more than one
way to interpret verses, but I thought this was an
interesting cultural perspective.
Isaiah 40:1-2
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your
God. Speak ye comfortably to
her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her
iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the
LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
breathe again.” The picture is that of a person who
has been sobbing so hard that they have trouble
catching their breath.
had been great and she was out of breath, spiritually
speaking. The Prophet’s task was to say, like a loving
Mother, “There, there, it’s over now. Everything is
going to be all right.”
But what kind of comfort would double for sins be? A
modern scholar tells us that there was something else
going on here. In the East, when a man went bankrupt,
a notice of all his debts was posted by the city gate.
Everyone would see what he owed, and he would be
publicly humiliated. But, someone could come by and
decide to pay his debts for him. If that happened, the
notice was then folded in half—doubled over.
The debts were paid and no one could see them anymore,
so the shame was removed – just like the doubling of
We can remember his tenderness and his empathy
for our embarrassments when all of our failings seem
posted on the city gate for everyone to see.
For He promised that he would not leave us comfortless.
What a great insight. Thanks for sharing that Donna.
ReplyDeleteI tried looking up the reference, Eastern Idioms, by D. Walt Whizzney, but nothing came up on google. Can you be more specific? Where might I purchase the book?
Unfortunately, my notes come from a longer presentation that I read many years ago and I just put what the author said. I have since discarded the main talk, but I kept the Whizzney quote. At the time, I was just taking notes for myself and I always assumed that I would be able to track down more information later. If you ever do track down the source, please pass it on to me.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteDonna, I couldn't find anything from Whizzney, but I did find the following taken from http://www.arielministries.org/ariel/roar/roar_june2006.pdf
ReplyDelete“Giving the Double”
By Nick Harris
Isaiah 40 is a transition chapter in the
book of Isaiah. Chapters 1-39, often
called the first Isaiah, records one
judgment after another. That changes
as Chapter 40 begins. It is as if the
judgment suddenly ends, and God
says, “Comfort ye, comfort ye, my
people.” The prophet, speaking in
behalf of God says this: “For she has
received the double for all her sins.”
When I first read that verse of
scripture, I was confused. I could not
see how anyone could be comforted,
knowing that they are going to get
punished twice for all their sins.
I was confused, that is, until I
stumbled upon one of the most
beautiful customs imaginable from
Biblical times in the Near East.
That custom was this: if a person
owed money that he could not pay
back, basically he was bankrupt. As
you can imagine, in ancient Israel
there were no bankruptcy laws to
protect those hopelessly in debt.
Whenever a man could not pay his
bills, he had three choices. He either
went to jail, he became the slave of
his debtor until he could work off his
debts, or he could take the third
option. This option was more humane
but it hurt one’s pride to do it.
A man who took this option would
take a piece of goatskin and he would
write down everything he owed on
it, right down to the last penny. Next
to the debt, he would list the names
of the persons he owed.
Then he would go to the gates of the
city, where everybody passed as they
entered and exited that municipality,
and he would hang that piece of
goatskin in the opening of the gate
where everyone entering or leaving
the town could read it.
Friends, enemies and strangers would
wag their heads and ask themselves,“How did old so-and-so ever get
himself in such a mess?”
However, there was a reason to endure
such public disgrace. In ancient days,
when a very wealthy person entered
the gates of the city, and saw a goat
skin fluttering in the breeze, he would
sometimes to go over and read the
information written on the skin.
If the rich man was moved with
compassion for that person, he would
take the goatskin down from the gate.
He would then double the skin over,
fold, and secure it. From that point
on, no one would ever see those debts
again.
On the back of the folded goat skin,
he would write, “Paid in full,” and
then he would sign his name. This
meant that all those persons to whom
the bankrupt man owed a debt would
be repaid in full by the rich man.
In those days, that repayment of a
debt was called, “Giving the double.”
The debts that were hidden by the
doubled skin were always paid in full.
That is the meaning of Isaiah’s words,
“Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people;
speak with tenderness and kindness
to Jerusalem, for she has received the
double for all her sins.”
In other words, it was like the sins of
Israel had been written down on a
goatskin and had been put out before
the nations for all to see. Everything
Israel had ever done against God had
been written there in bold letters.
But the outcome of this state of
indebtedness and disgrace was this:
one day a rich man came into the city
and passed through the gates. Who
was this rich man? It was none other
than the very person that Israel had
sinned against; the one to whom Israel
owed debts that he could not pay. It
was the Lord Himself.
And the Lord, the one to whom all
the debts are owed, took that goatskin
down from the gate, and He folded it
over, he doubled it, and in His ownblood He wrote, “Paid in full.”
This is what it meant to give “the
double” for all her sins. “Giving the
double” did not mean being punished
twice, it meant having one’s debts
obliterated by the one to whom the
debt was owed.
That hope, the coming of the redeemer
of the debts, is “the consolation of
Israel.”
So, for thirty-nine chapters in the
book of Isaiah, the debt is spelled out.
This nation was waiting for the day
when God himself would deal with
their debt---their sin.
This nation waited for the day when
the filth of Israel would be forever
taken away, the day when God will
set up his kingdom of righteousness
and purity, the day when the peace of
God that passes all human
understanding will be poured upon
His people.
Then is when God will fulfill the
words of His prophets and He will
“console” all those who look to Him
for salvation. They will be “given the
double.”
--
Steven Montgomery
Steven, thank you for the reference! Any luck finding the original source for this custom? Ive looked all morning with no luck, any input is appreciated.
DeleteThanks, Steven! I love the additional information.
ReplyDeleteBob Norman has been making comments and they are not showing up on the blog. This is a test.
ReplyDeleteHi, in his book "The power of the blood Covenant" on page 183 Bishop Malcolm Smith addresses Isaiah 40 and the "Giving of the Double." He confirms all that Nick Harris has shared. Blessings...
ReplyDeletePage 183? I dont see the reference ... perhaps a different page/source? Any help is appreciated.
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