January 17, 2025

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Our Redeemer—the LORD of Hosts is His name— is the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 47.4)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Here is the truth in the midst of the opinions and perspectives of the world: Our Redeemer—the LORD of Hosts is His name— is the Holy One of Israel. As we have reflected upon thus far in the prophecies given to Isaiah, we find that “redemption” is not only the central message, but it is the message. God’s purpose for His people is that they understand their identity in this way. His people are the reflections of the message of redemption because they have been redeemed from the beginning. I suggested yesterday that we are seeing the entire biblical presentation as the course of God’s plan of redemption. John the Elder and beloved disciple of Jesus wrote “Through Him all things were made; there is nothing made that was made without Him.” (John 1.3) What is this saying? I am suggesting that in Christ Jesus and through Him everything has been included in the work of redemption. What is redemption if not the restoration of meaning and purpose of an object, animate or inanimate. From the beginning of creation, God redeemed the “chaotic mass” from its state of lostness and purposelessness. The “mess” may change its appearance as it is shaped and reshaped in the hands to which it has been entrusted, but the initial beginning will also be its final accomplishment. What does that final appearance reflect? The ordering of all things according to its meaning, purpose and function. In Proverbs 16.4, we read “The Lord works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster.” Even from Isaiah, 45.7, we hear “I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.” Everything has a purpose and a place. For those elements of creation which can choose for themselves, God allows the choice to be made and He will abide by it. It does not mean that God will not attempt, at all costs even to Himself as we see in Jesus Christ, to re-turn us from our decisions of self-centeredness and wickedness. God will and does. We should be grateful for that, as believers. I confess that those who are unbelievers by choice may weary of God’s efforts at redemption, reconciliation and restoration. They may well cry out “Leave us alone and to our own demise.” We may well hear this, for example, in the restoration of the Gadarene demonic. When Jesus frees the man from the bondage of a thousand evil spirits (an amazing reality in and of itself), the evil spirits (or demons) cry out, “If you are to drive us out of this man, then grant us the privilege of dwelling within that herd of pigs.” Jesus allowed it not because He hated pigs, though considered “unclean” by Jews, but because it would be the end of those spirits/demons and it would be the freedom of the man. The pigs were beyond redemption, so the loss was not so consequential (except for those to whom the pigs belonged which is another story.)

And in this we find that central truth that is framed for Isaiah’s understanding: Our Redeemer—the LORD of Hosts is His name— is the Holy One of Israel. You have to read the whole of Isaiah 47 to understand the assessment of what was happening to those who were in exile. Reading it will help you to grasp what was happening to those whose wrong actions put innocent people into exile as well. Humanity’s search for meaning, I am reminded of the work by Viktor Frankl, travels many roads but all will lead to a most certain end. That God allows that search to be so full of options and alternatives is a sign of His love for His people and the right of freedom is called compassion. That God interacts with those choices with the intention of moving people to a good end is a sign of His true love called favor. That God allows those who refuse to choose wisely in opposition to the will of God which is always working things together for good and find themselves in a “dead end” is a sign of God’s love called justice. [I am led by the Spirit to identify those designations as such, but I am praying that I have heard it clearly and will pray more on that to be sure.] What we find in Isaiah 47 is that “search for meaning” to define and control life to meet expectations in lieu of God and, for some, in the hope of finding God. I fear and believe what is presented in chapter 47 is an insight as to what lies ahead. If it is, then we are most certainly living in the already and not yet. We would do well to heed the lesson that it teaches and the instruction it is giving. Ordering our thinking and responses in light of that instruction [I am speaking here of the “end times” and the appearance of the anti-Christ] can only serve the good purpose of refining our mission and ministry to the people of God and those who would do well to be “of” the people of God. A quote I recently read speaks to this in this way, “If you are never born again, you will pray you had never been born at all.” – J.C. Ryle

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

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more real than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness which we know is folly but righteous works which declare Your glory and further witness the truth that can set all who believe free from death. So may we live by the name of Jesus our Christ. AMEN.