December 10, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“This is what the Lord says to me with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people: ‘Do not call conspiracy everything this people calls a conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy. He is the one you are to fear. He is the one you are to dread. He will be a holy place….‘” (Isaiah 8.11-14a)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD during the Second Week of Advent 2024:

The intervening verses between yesterday’s reflection on Isaiah 7.11-14 and today’s reflection on Isaiah 8.11-14 are not ignored. They are difficult to understand in the light of grasping the role and function of prophetic works and thus learning from them their application to the theme of “Immanuel, God who is with us, who is our peace.” This is the challenge of God’s word which must exist. If it were all abundantly clear and easy to understand then the possibility exists that they would fall to the wayside as happenstance and lacking true authority. If you have any doubt on that, then you need only to read Isaiah 8.14b-15. There you will find the power of God’s testimony concerning the future of Israel (and Judah) as a stumbling block to those who have ignored the Word of the Lord.

We can see this in those intervening verses as Isaiah, under God’s influence whose hand was greatly upon Him as the word was given, delivered the instruction to Ahaz, King of Judah [that is, the “southern” kingdom; whereas, still at that time, Israel was considered to be the “northern” kingdom]. That prophetic instruction spoke of a sign which was to be given. Ahaz was told to ask God for a sign of deliverance which would also be confirmation of Ahaz’s obedience to the call. Ahaz feared such presumption to ask God for a sign. Remember when Jesus was asked for a sign which would indicate when the last days would come? (re. Matthew 12) Jesus responded, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet.” The reference to Jonah was significant as it pointed to when God sent word to a warring nation which threatened the people of Israel. It was a warning of repentance so powerful that even those who were not Jews would hear, heed it and declare its validity for all people. Jonah had previously been sent to the king of Judah with a similar message calling for repentance so that the king would not lead God’s people into war but declare peace. We know that God’s word was successful in both instances as Jerusalem and Nineveh repented and relented.

Ahaz was confronted by two nations rising up against him and God’s people. Both Judah and Israel, who seemingly were always in a state of flux when it came to be a people united, were being threatened. Ahaz, as a descendant of David who himself united the two kingdoms to become one nation under God, was privileged with the opportunity to bring harmony and unity to the people. It seemed that the threat of war and annihilation would be the impetus of trusting in God alone. Who else could bring victory and the age of peace the people of God sought? This is where the understanding of prophecy challenges us even today. We become so bound to literal translations and historically literal applications that we miss the impetus of prophecy to “trust in the Lord at all times.” God will define for us what is being said, when and for whom. It falls back to God’s people to “Trust in the Lord with all their heart and lean not on their own understanding.” (Proverbs 3.5-6) That axiom is as true for us today as it was for Ahaz in his day, Solomon in his day (who wrote the teaching) as it was for Adam and Eve in their days in the Garden. Prophecy is God’s truth in its season meant to guide us through our seasons until we all reach the final season where God’s truth is fully accomplished and revealed. Isaiah did not get to choose which application (present, future present or future) applied to whom. His ministry was one of obedience. We know this because of the essence of his call to serve God who revealed Himself to Isaiah in the temple (Isaiah 6). Isaiah accepted the call, who could have denied the opportunity after seeing the sign and signal of God in the present tense. It was no dream or mystical vision. God was “high and lifted up with His train filling the temple” and exceeding it. Isaiah, declaring his unworthiness to receive the vision and the call, was then anointed by fire and thereby empowered to fulfill the mission call to preach “good news” which would be hard news for many to hear and apply to their own lives. So, in chapter seven we hear of the season of Immanuel, the son born of a virgin, who would be a sign to Ahaz. That sign would guide him through the challenges from both external and internal challenges. As we reflected upon yesterday, the greatest challenge is that internal one. It is represented by the birth of a child. The image of wife and mother is both literal and figurative. There is a real woman giving birth whose birth is a sign of things to come. There is a figurative woman, the nation of Israel as the bride of God, who will bring forth a new season of transformation which will lead to peace and justice with righteousness. Ultimately, we know (as mighty ones of God who stand on this side of the cross) that there would be a literal virgin who would give birth to a son who would make it possible for the external and internal to be united in peace, justice and righteousness. His name is Jesus and He will be the sign.

However, mighty ones of God- especially those of God through Christ Jesus, not everyone will accept the sign, heed the sign and declare the sign to be truth for all people. This is the essence of the prophecy which Isaiah relates to Ahaz and to the nation of Israel as recorded in today’s passage. Do we not see it as a critical word on our present reality as “truth is called a lie and lies are called truth; as unnatural is chosen above the natural and the natural is condemned as unnatural”? The power of a name remains throughout the seasons, years, generations, centuries and aeons. That name is “Immanuel, God with us.” He is with us always. He promised it as He called the disciples to take up the ministry of leadership to be modern-day prophets of the gospel. They would be like John the Baptizer who called people to prepare themselves for repentance (an Advent) and like Jesus who would teach by word and actions the truth of righteousness apart from the legal wranglings of those who called themselves “righteous” but were actually self-righteous. I believe this is a gift that we need to bring into the world as the first and best gift which everyone needs to receive. That gift is Jesus!

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.