Friday, April 15, 2011
Isaiah 9
Make no mistake about it, most of Isaiah 9 tells us how angry God is with Israel. When He is upset, He has a profound way of making it known. As much as God is angry when we are unfaithful and put other gods before Him, God is also equally loving and forgiving to those who choose Him above all others. Its the simplest choice we could make really. The choice is simple and the decision is yours....who comes first?
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God has blessed my life and I praise Him for it. All the glory is His. Through good times and bad he has watched over me. When I was young and disregarded my life God was with me.
ReplyDeleteWhen seeking out escape of reality through any means possible was my mantra the Lord had my back. When I had to bring my father to the hospital to die at sixty years old He was by my side. He was there for the union between Dyan and I at Faith, the birth of J & J and all
that has made me who I am. Thank you Lord!
So much of this chapter reminds me of Job - never did before, but reading them in succession drives it home to me.
ReplyDelete"The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; the fig trees have beeen felled, but we will replace them with cedars." (v. 10)
The people are being punished (this time for unfaithfulness, not bizarre cosmic dispute) and it will end in restoration of God's favor and all things better again.
A Messiah will come and "he will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom." It's no wonder that the people expected a political leader to save them from the powers of Rome.
Gotta love that Handel's Messiah! Can't read this chapter withotu hearing it....the power of music in our faith.
From Matthew 4, the text that introduced the synod to Doing What Matters in November: "When Jesus got word that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. He moved from his hometown, Nazareth, to the lakeside village Capernaum, nestled at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills. This move completed Isaiah's sermon:
ReplyDeleteLand of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, road to the sea, over Jordan, Galilee, crossroads for the nations. People sitting out their lives in the dark saw a huge light; Sitting in that dark, dark country of death, they watched the sun come up. This Isaiah-prophesied sermon came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: 'Change your life. God's kingdom is here.'"
Just over 23 hours into our fast, I'm watching the sun come up. The light and warmth of the Son makes all the difference in our lives. Most of us value independence over all things (even our homeless friend, Bob). What if we valued the kingdom and God's ways that fervently?