November 10, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“’Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken [and this is what He has said]’: I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me. The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know; [yes] My people do not understand.‘” (Isaiah 1.2-3)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Generally, it is said that Isaiah is considered one of the major prophets (like Daniel, Ezekiel and Jeremiah) because of the volume of the work attributed to them. Throughout the Old Testament there are 300 references to the coming Messiah and Jesus as the Messiah. Isaiah is one of the major contributors to that volume of work. More importantly for me is the volume of references to Isaiah which are recorded throughout the minor prophets, the gospels and the early church writers and early church fathers. As we heard in reflecting upon the work of Zechariah, the theme of the once and true King of Israel (both the old and the new Israel) is intended to be dominant for the hope of God’s people to survive. From the gospel of John, we are reminded of Jesus singularity. The references to the “I AM” sayings of Jesus are significant because of that singularity such as “I am the resurrection and the life,” “I am the door of the sheep,” “I am the living water,” and most important for all Christ followers as it should be for all those who aspire to an eternal life of peace and joy “I am the way, the truth and the life and by no other shall the Father be approached and received as His own.” (John 14.6) Thus it would seem that the world, especially Israel, would pay attention to not only the prophesies but the affirmation and fulfillments of those same prophesies. As Zechariah’s prophetic work was coming to a close, the call to remember the days of King Uzziah were mentioned. It behooves us to understand the nature of the Hebrew kings and to grasp their rise and fall being directly attributed to fulfilling the Law of Righteousness. No one was perfect in those days. There were many who neared the righteousness of God but their humanness remained in place. The same for those throughout history exists as it does for each of us. While Jesus urged His followers in the text of the Sermon on the Mount to “Be perfect as Your Father in Heaven is perfect,” it was with a clear context of the righteousness of being forgiving as those who have been forgiven. This does not intimate that God needed to be forgiven. Rather, we know that it is God who declares forgiveness and His people who then are challenged to live forgiven lives. The ultimate expression of perfect forgiveness was made known in Jesus of Nazareth who is the Christ of God and the Messiah of the people or God’s Messiah and the Christ of the people. It is sufficient to say “Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah and Son of the Living God who is Lord and Savior.” In all of this, God remains the priority focus and key operational identity. While there is the understanding of the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we know from the words and works of Jesus that in all things God is the true object of our faith and affection. Jesus came to save us because that was the will of His, and our, Heavenly Father. Thank God for Jesus. Thank Jesus for God.

So when I was challenged in another devotional source back to Isaiah chapter 1, I knew it was no coincidence that it came as I was concluding my reflections on the work of Zechariah. The scripture reference was not the passage which serves as the basis for today’s reflection on God’s Word, however, Instead, it was from later in the chapter as follows: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. ‘Come now, let us settle the matter,‘ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’” (Isaiah 1.17-18) The reference was to the saving of God’s people by the blood of the Lamb who was slain. By His death, we are made righteous. As I read those two verses several times, I could hear the words of Micah 6.8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” I could also hear the words from James 1.26-27 “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Of course, in all of that, I cannot ignore a more verse made popular by the recent political activities and the outcry of the Church in light of them “…and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7.14) We certainly can hear a common theme: embrace repentance and forgiveness and there will be a healed community that provides healing for others. That healing and forgiveness can come from no other source than God. His name is captured in that tetragrammaton YHWH, or in the anglicized version “I AM that I AM,” which was given to Moses upon his inquiry for validation to approach Pharaoh with the request for liberation of the Hebrew “slaves.”

Moses himself was guilty of sin. He had taken a man’s life. Some may suggest it was justifiable homicide because of the brutality of the Egyptian taskmaster on a Hebrew slave. Moses, however, was simply not acting in defense of the slave (a fellow Hebrew) but was passing judgment on the Egyptian as a former Egyptian. He was guilty in two realms: the nation of Egypt ruled by Pharaoh and the kingdom of God ruled by the righteousness of God. Under the law of Pharaoh, Moses was stripped of his Egyptian identity as a “son of Egypt and Pharaoh.” By the justice of God, Moses was called to be a “Leader of God’s People.” In the realm of Egypt, Pharaoh was God empowered by Ra, the Sun God. In the kingdom of God, Moses was empowered by YHWH to one of many sons of God through whom His will would be made known. The pattern was established that a nation who rejected the “Word of the Lord” would suffer and the nation who accepted, obeyed and fulfilled the “Word of the Lord” would survive, prosper and bring glory to God in the midst of all nations. As we read from the verses for today’s Reflection on God’s Word, this paradigm was true for Israel, too. She was not exempt from the judgment and justice of God. God’s identity is seen through the exercise of justice, of which- mercy, compassion, judgment and prosperity are some of the key characteristics. Thus, Isaiah’s prophetic and evangelistic (good news) ministry begins with that voice of justice. It is not a matter of God’s people not understanding as if this is something new to them (the literal meaning of verse 3). It is a matter of God’s people forgetting to understand, remember and put into practice what had always been true (the spiritual impetus of the declaration.) It seems by the 8th Century B.C., Israel had forgotten its heritage as much as Pharaoh, in the days of Moses, had forgotten the name and heritage of his servant Israel whose name was Joseph. I believe it is no coincidence then that I am led to reflect on passages from Isaiah at this time in our own history. This season we are being led in transition politically and spiritually. We dare not forget to be “thankful” and “in anticipation.” If we are not faithful students of our heritage then we may well be accused on not understanding God’s will and thus place ourselves in moral, mortal and eternal jeopardy as a political nation and as a spiritual nation (not America per se but a nation of God’s people.) I can’t wait to share what God is showing to me and pray it will benefit you, too. Shalom, y’all.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit in order that others be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind so we would know we are Your people and You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.