Tag: Isaiah

Posted on

Restoration- The End of Exile

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God; Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for…A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:1-3

The Prophet Isaiah is given this oracle to speak to the people of Israel when they near the end of the Exile. God is calling out to Israel to give them comfort. It’s an important verse in the book of Isaiah because it presents a huge shift in the message of the book. In fact, some people call the following few chapters the “Book of Comfort” because the tone is one of support and encouragement. The Jews are about to go home.

The second part of this passage talks about building a road in the wilderness. A long straight path on which God will travel. But where is God going, and where has God been? Remember that one of the most important themes of Scripture is that God is always with God’s people. The Lord was with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, David, Deborah, Ruth, Esther. When Jerusalem was destroyed and the temple was burned, God did not migrate up to heaven or float out into the desert. God went into exile too.

Christian writer Bob Goff tells a story about a tradition he started with his children and neighbors more than twenty years ago. On New Year’s Day, he sent his kids door-to-door to invite everyone to a parade they would be having later that day. The only catch was that no one would be allowed to watch the parade. They all had to march in the parade together.

Isaiah imagines the journey back to Jerusalem like a parade with the living God leading the way. Many generations from now, John the Baptist will use this very scripture to talk about his purpose in preparing the way for Jesus Christ. John will literally go into the wilderness beyond Jerusalem to preach and turn people’s hearts back to God in anticipation for the ministry of Jesus. Imagine God walking side-by-side with you, offering comfort, support, and encouragement.

Posted on

Love – Our Superhero

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. –  Isaiah 43:2 (NRSV)

Lately, it seems as if everyone is obsessed with superheroes. There are new superhero movies out several times a year and every streaming platform has their own show following the antics of superhuman crusader. Maybe you follow Agents of Shield, The Boys, or The Umbrella Academy.

This verse from Isaiah reminds me of superheroes. It comes to us as a promise from God. It’s written as a bit of poetry and says that God will be with us in times of trial to prevent us from getting hurt. The way it is written it sounds like whenever we are confronted by a challenge God will allow us to breeze right through it like Wonder Woman or Superman. This verse reminds me of the age old saying that God won’t give you more than you can handle. By the way, that saying isn’t actually in the Bible, and I have to disagree.

The focus of today’s passage is not God’s protection from harm. Rather, we are supposed to pay attention to the five little words, “I will be with you.” Here’s the thing, there will definitely be times in life when you feel like you’ve got more than you can handle.

In the Bible, God gave people more than they could handle all the time, and, this year, everyone feels like they’ve got way more than they can handle. Instead, God promises that he will be with us when challenges come our way. He promised to walk through raging rivers and fierce flames by our side. With God we will survive. More than that, with God we will have salvation.

Despite what we see in TV and movies, there has only ever been one super human to walk the earth. That hero’s origin story includes being born in a barn and sleeping in a manger. He was a lowly peasant who suffered just like us. But the whole world knows and celebrates his story more than any hero in history. Take time today and reflect on how Jesus has been a hero in your life.

Posted on

Love – Called by Name

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name; you are mine. –  Isaiah 43:1 (NRSV)

In 2012, an independent film called Beast of the Southern Wild was released. The movie was about a little girl named Hushpuppy trying to survive, mostly on her own, in the bayou of Louisiana. The young actress who played Hushpuppy auditioned for the role at just five years old. In 2013, at age nine, she became the youngest nominee for Best Actress, first African-American child actor to earn an Oscar nomination, and the only person born in the 21st century to be nominated for an Academy Award. Her name is Quvenzhané [Kwa-Vin-Je-Nay] Wallis.

That’s probably not a name you hear a lot. In the middle of her success, Hollywood was having a difficult time making sense of her, and especially, her name. TV Personalities decided to bypass the issue by giving her the nickname “Little Q,” a nickname she did not request.

It may seem harmless, but the message was clear. Despite her enormous success and talent, her name was not worth knowing. She’s not the only actor who’s had a hard time because of their name. Actors James Rodriguez and Ramón Estévez changed their names to sound less Hispanic and be taken more seriously. You may know them by their stage names James Roday and Martin Sheen.

In Isaiah 43:1, God calls out to his people with words of tender love saying “don’t be afraid because I have made everything alright. I am calling you by name, your real name. You are my child and you are worth knowing. The real you, not the mask you put on to make others feel comfortable. I love you as you are.” To call someone by their name seems so ordinary. We do it all the time without thinking. However, when the God of creation stoops down to our level, he takes great care to refer to us by name. Jesus wants us to know that we matter and that we are loved for who we are.

As Christmas draws even closer, you might find your name written on the tags of gifts or in the address line of a greeting card. Whenever you see your name written this week take time to reflect on God’s personal call on your life. You matter. You are loved. You are the recipient of the most wonderful gift, and it’s addressed specifically to you – the gift of salvation wrapped in human skin.

Posted on

Love – The Potter’s Hands

O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. – Isaiah 64:8 (NRSV)

Pottery was such an indispensable part of life during the time of the Bible. Nearly everything you ate, sold, wore or enjoyed was stored in or served on pottery. Each piece of pottery was entirely unique and handmade. That’s not the case today, but back then every plate, bowl, jug, and cup was formed by a skilled artisan working with clay.

If you have any experience working with clay, you’ll know there are a few things you need to go from a lump of dirt to a lovely work of craftsmanship. The first thing you need is water to make the clay malleable. Dried out clay cannot be formed and will crumble into dust. A proud and difficult heart is like dry clay in the hands of God. It will break apart and never become the beautiful creation God has planned.

If God is the potter of our lives, that means we must present ourselves to God as well watered clay. We must be willing to be lovingly molded by God, to let God lead us and shape us and make us something wonderful.

The other thing you need to make pottery is time. If God is shaping our lives it means we must be patient. God wants us to be perfect before the end, and perfection takes time. We are called to be humble and hopeful while God is working within us.

The final stage of making pottery is the kiln, the place in which the clay is heated and hardens. What’s interesting about pottery is that it can be both beautiful and useful. We use plates to serve bread and cups to drink water.

When the master potter is finished with us we will be beautiful and valuable. We will be equipped to love our neighbor who is hungry or thirsty through humble service. We can serve as tools for the kingdom of God.

Think about your own faith journey today. Have you offered yourself to God as a malleable piece of clay? Are you letting God shape and mold you with humility and love? If not, how can soften your spirit to better accommodate God’s work in your life. Where do you need to yield to God and stop trying to have your own way? And where can you serve as a faithful piece of God’s handmade pottery?

Posted on

Love – God With Us

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel. – Isaiah 7:14 (NRSV)

Have you ever been to a baby shower? Maybe it was for your own children. Or maybe you have younger siblings and can remember the anticipation of the coming baby? It’s such an exciting time waiting on a new addition to the family.

Perhaps, this season you will receive a Christmas card with a new face in the group. I guarantee wherever you see a new baby everyone is smiling a bit bigger. There’s a tad more joy when we add someone new.

This verse from Isaiah is a piece of prophecy pointing to Jesus. The young woman is of course Mary. But there’s something peculiar about this verse. It says that the new baby will be named Immanuel. Now, Jesus’ name isn’t Immanuel, it’s, well, Jesus. But we even have hymns that seem to refer to Jesus as “Immanuel.” So, what’s the deal?

Well, the name Immanuel in Hebrew translates to “God with us.” This verse should read something like: the child will be God-right-next-to-us. This means Immanuel is more of a title than a person’s name. In Matthew 1:23, this verse from Isaiah is referenced when the angel announces Jesus’ birth to Joseph.

God-with-us is exactly who Jesus is. He is the incarnation of the living God. He is heaven come to Earth. He has made his home among us mortals because of his love for us. He’s not social distancing but right up in our business. The overarching message of the Bible is just that: Immanuel, God is with us. God says, “I will be with you,” to Abraham when he is asked to leave home. God says, “I will be with you,” to Jacob when he fled from his brother to the wilderness. God says, “I will be with you,” to Moses when he brought the Israelites from slavery in Egypt into the promised land. And God says, “I will be with you,” to Mary when she finds out she will have a baby.

So, if Immanuel is a title or more of a description, how have you seen God with you this Advent season? Does it feel like God has been with you lately? Maybe it has felt like God was so far away he was on another planet. Take some time today to reflect on what it means that God is with us no matter what happens.

Posted on

Joy – Sing to the Lord

Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be known in all the earth. Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. – Isaiah 12:5-6 (NRSV)

Let’s think for a minute: how many Christmas songs talk about joy or being joyful? Well, there’s “Joy to the World,” that one is pretty obvious. There’s also “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “O, Holy Night,” “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen,” “O Come All Ye Faithful,” and “Angels We Have Heard on High” just to name a few.

Joy is pretty a churchy word, but we use it because we are talking about something more than happiness or pleasure. We are talking about a heavenly feeling which has somehow made its way deep into our soul. Often, in Scripture and in worship, we are so overwhelmed by its presence we cannot help but sing. That’s why we have so many Christmas songs which talk about joy.

This verse from Isaiah encourages the people of God to let loose with shouting and praise. There are hundreds of other passages in the Bible which encourage the same thing, yet we often find ourselves quiet and self-conscious when it comes to worship.

When was the last time you found yourself singing? Maybe it was in the shower or in the car. Maybe at a friend’s birthday or in the choir. There is so much emotion bound up with the act of singing. When we sing we are forced to really feel the words deep within us.

Theologian St. Augustine used to say that “to sing is to pray twice.” In a sense, anything we sing to God reflects the depths of our soul. Isaiah encourages the people of God to sing in celebration and joy at what the Lord has done for them.

But he also tells them to sing for another reason. He says that they should sing because “in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” They should sing, not just because of what God has done, but also because God is here.

During the season of Advent, we are called to celebrate because the God of all creation has decided to make his home among us. God is not far off in heaven. The Holy One is found here in our midst in the person of Jesus Christ. This season do not be afraid to celebrate boldly and with singing the arrival of our Lord.

Posted on

Joy – The Gift of God

You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy, they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest. – Isaiah 9:3 (NRSV)

What’s your favorite Christmas food? Take a moment to really think about it. Close your eyes and picture the family table covered in casseroles and carbohydrates. There’s got to be one you dish onto your plate first. Without its savory goodness Christmas would be incomplete. Or maybe you have a sweet tooth ready to devour some cookies, cakes, or pies. They don’t call it holiday weight for nothing.

This verse from Isaiah talks about the joy of Israel. He says that God’s people are rejoicing like it is harvest time, and there’s more food than they can imagine. They are gathered together as a community as they delight in the good things God has given them.

As we celebrate in our homes and with our loved ones, it can be easy to let the focus of our joy be on the food or the presents. Our eyes will drift to the harvest on the table and under the tree, and we will forget the God who has made all our blessings possible.

This verse reminds me of the final seen in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. If you remember the story, all the Whos in Who-ville were being quite obnoxious with their joyfulness so the Grinch decided he would steal Christmas. On Christmas Eve, he went house to house and stole all the food and decorations and gifts then waited until morning to hear them cry “boo-hoo.” But of course, they didn’t. They arose Christmas morning and gathered together to sing. Somehow or other Christmas came just the same.

James 1:17 reminds us that “every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (NRSV).” Nothing we have comes from our own hand, but only through the grace of God. We must not find joy in the gifts without first finding joy in the Giver. And, during Advent, we are awaiting the most important gift of all in Jesus Christ, from whom we reap a harvest of salvation.

Posted on

Joy – Our Light in the Darkness

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined. – Isaiah 9:2 (NRSV)

This time of year, the world is full of lights. There are twinkling lights on the Christmas tree and flickering flames in the Advent wreath. There are great big light extravaganzas down the street and dainty icicle lights on the house next door. There are candles in the windows and headlights on cars. As the song goes, “city street lights, even stop lights dressed in holiday style.” We need light this time of year because the days are short, and the nights are long.

This year might have felt pretty dark to you. We have been engulfed by the uncertainty of COVID-19, and it has amplified our preexisting fears.

Maybe you once feared starting a new job, and now you’re afraid of the health risks involved. Maybe you once feared getting into the right college. Now, you’re not sure how well college and coronavirus mix. Maybe you want to feared starting a new relationship. Now, it seems like avoiding relationships is the safer option.

We have been walking in the dark for most of the year – never knowing what the next day would bring. For most of us, darkness is terrifying, but we’re even more afraid that any light in our life will be destroyed by the darkness.

Author Brené Brown says this about the darkness, “the dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy into the shadows.”

Think about it this way, there is no way a shadow can ever overcome the light. The smallest amount of light, the tiniest good thing shines even brighter, becomes even more noticeable, in the depths of the dark. If we spend time worrying about the dark, worrying about the bad things, we are letting go of our own joy.

For those of us who call themselves the people of God, our great light this Christmas is the boy-child Jesus. He is the light of the world, and if you are following Jesus then you will never have to worry about the dark.

As you go about today, keep your eyes peeled for Christmas lights and candles. Maybe even find a bright spot around your house. Ask yourself, what does it mean for Jesus to be the Light of the World and what does it mean for Jesus to be my light in the darkness?

Posted on

Joy – Good News

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” – Isaiah 52:7 (NRSV)

This is the third week of Advent, and churches all over the world are talking about joy. You cannot read today’s verse without hearing joy. We’ve all experienced the joy that comes from getting some long-awaited good news. Maybe you’ve anxiously refreshed a webpage looking for a grade, or you’ve waited outside while a team of judges decide if you’ve passed the audition, or you get that thrilling text with those four joyous words: you made the team.

Back before iPhones and fax machines, the only way to receive a message from a long way off was to send a hand delivered letter. There was not a postal service or a Pony Express. Most of the time, these messages were carried by those on foot. Today’s verse describes someone traveling on foot to deliver a message of peace and salvation. Picture a soldier dispatched from the front lines and told to run back to the city. The soldier is to announce that the war is over. Peace has come, and God has brought about salvation. The beautiful feet in this story are not just bringing good news, they are bringing a message of life in the face of death.

Though we have all received good news, we have not received many messages of life in the face of death. That kind of news sounds more like hearing “his cancer is finally in remission,” or “she survived the accident,” or “we will be together again someday.”

However, we have all received the same good news in Jesus Christ. In fact, that’s exactly what the word gospel means! Good news! And How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the gospel, who proclaim peace with God, who announce our salvation and the Kingdom of God.

This season, we should remember that Jesus’s birth is the ultimate good news. More than that, it is a message of life in the face of death. Take joy and give thanks for God’s message of life in the face of death.

Posted on

Joy – Jesus’s Greatest Miracle

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. – Isaiah 35:5-6 (NRSV)

The ministry of Jesus Christ is full of the miraculous. He healed those who could not walk and gave sight to the blind. We know that he walked on water and calmed a raging storm. He fed thousands of people with a few pieces of bread and once he made a coin appear from the mouth of a fish.

John writes in his Gospel that Jesus did so many miracles that they couldn’t begin to have written them all down. But I have to say, of all the miracles, the coin in the fish thing seems the most like a magic trick.

Let me ask you this, just for fun, what would you say was Jesus’s most extraordinary miracle? You might think it’s one of the fancier miracles like walking on water or calming the storm. Or, you might jump straight to the resurrection as his most impressive feat. However, what if it’s something else? What if it’s something that literally every person alive today has done?

Every human being who is alive has gone through the process of birth. There are different ways of being born, of course, and we don’t need to get into that here. Yet, every human alive was formed in the belly of a woman and brought into this world to undergo the human experience. Even though Adam and Eve weren’t ‘born’ in the typical sense they still lived the human experience. However, Jesus isn’t human, at least, he isn’t only human.

Now, the idea of Jesus actually having a definitive “Most Extraordinary Miracle” is not real. This is just a thought experiment. However, since it is the Season of Advent, maybe we should consider the birth of Jesus as Fully Human and Fully Divine as his most extraordinary miracle. We call this event the incarnation and without it none of the other miracles are possible.

This is the moment that heaven touches earth and they mix together. This is the moment that Love came down and took on human skin. What would it mean for us to think of Jesus’ birth as his most extraordinary miracle?