pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!


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Sense It

Reading: Isaiah 17-23

‭Isaiah 22:11 – “But you didn’t trust its maker; you didn’t consider the one who planned it long ago.”

Today’s seven chapters hold the remaining oracles against the nations around Judah as well as against Judah itself. Our readings begin with the fall of Damascus and Ephraim. Their attempt at an anti-Assyrian alliance angered God. In response, God will “harvest armfuls at a time.” God then proclaims, “They will be a wasteland because you forgot the God who saves you, and didn’t remember the rock who shelters you.” There is a sadness that we can feel in God’s voice. We can sense it because at times we too create the same sadness.

The oracles against Cush, Egypt, Babylon, Tyre, and even Judah herself follow. The foreign nations will be cut down and pruned, will be naked and barefoot and humiliated, will be defeated and trampled, will be destroyed and prostituted. The consequences for their sin will be great. Judah too will suffer. Judah and its leaders relied on self instead of on God. When God called for prayer and fasting, there was “fun and frivolity.” God declared, “But you didn’t trust its maker; you didn’t consider the one who planned it long ago.” Again, we can sense the sadness in God’s voice. And, yes, it is so because we too fail to trust in God at times.

We also hear words of hope in today’s reading. At the end of chapter 19 Isaiah speaks of God’s blessing on all who “swear loyalty to the Lord.” God will hear their cries and will “send them a Savior and a defender to rescue them.” In response, the faithful will “worship with sacrifices and offerings, making promises to the Lord and fulfilling them.” We can sense the joy for God in this faithfulness. May we too bring this joy to the Lord our God.

Prayer: Lord God, forgive us when we forget your gifts of salvation and shelter. Forgive us when we try to go it on our own, forgetting the one who created and planned our world and our lives. Remind us and draw us once again to our Savior, defender, friend. Thank you, God. Amen.


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Rule with Justice and Righteousness

Reading: Isaiah 13-16

‭Isaiah 14:1 – “The LORD will have compassion on Jacob, will again choose Israel, and will give them rest in their own land.”

Our readings for today and tomorrow contain mostly oracles against the nations surrounding or occupying Judah/Israel. We do find hope sprinkled in these verses too. For example, tucked in the middle of the oracle against Babylon and her king, we find: “The LORD will have compassion on Jacob, will again choose Israel, and will give them rest in their own land.”

Chapters 13-14 detail the fall of Babylon. Isaiah makes it clear that God is “mustering an army for battle.” God will raise up the Medes to make Babylon like “Sodom and Gomorrah.” A restored Israel will then taunt the broken king of Babylon. The underworld will wait restlessly for this king. His final rest will be on “a bed of maggots” under a “blanket of worms.” His arrogance and pride will be laid low. God will also cut off all of his offspring too.

Before an oracle against Philistia, we read, “I will break Assyria in my land… and remove its yoke from my people.” The Philistines are not so blessed. They rebelled against Assyria, yes, but a new viper will come from the north.

Chapters 15-16 hold an oracle against Moab. They will be devastated and humiliated. In verse 2 we read, “Every head is shaved, every beard cut off.” The waters will be full of blood. In three years Moab’s remnant will be “few and feeble.” Amidst this sadness and loss we also find hope, mercy, compassion. Isaiah’s heart “cries out for Moab.” God invites Judah to “consider carefully, act justly.” Judah is told to hide the outcasts and fugitives. Isaiah also speaks of the time when the oppressor is gone, of a time when one will rule with justice and righteousness from the throne of David. This too is our ultimate hope. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you continue to oppose leaders and nations that bring evil and oppression upon this world. You oppose us when we do the same. Instead, Lord, use us to create the kingdom of justice and righteousness that Isaiah spoke of today. Then you will be with us, walking amongst us in Spirit and power. Amen.


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On That Day…

Reading: Isaiah 8-11

‭Isaiah 11:10 – “On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out, and his dwelling will be glorious.”

Photo credit: Nathan Dumlao

Chapter 8 begins with a prophecy about the downfall of Aram and Israel. It will come before Isaiah’s newborn son can speak. Assyria is on the rise. They will destroy Aram and Israel. They will sweep into Judah, getting all the way to Jerusalem. But they won’t conquer it. God tells Isaiah not to fear. Wait on the Lord. Yes, distress will come, but God is with us. The people will rejoice as God shatters the yoke, lifting their burden. And one day a great light will come. A child will be born. He will establish justice and righteousness forever. One day…

The Assyrians fall mightily upon Israel. This is meant to be a word of warning to Judah. To those who have deprived the needy of their rights and who have robbed the poor, God asks, “Where will you stash your wealth?” One day they too will become prisoners. But at present, it is Assyria who went too far. Because of the king’s pride and arrogance the word of warning became an assault on Judah. The Assyrians swept in, right up to Jerusalem, “the neck.” God will punish the Assyrians. God asks, “Will the ax glorify itself over the one who chops with it?” The hand guiding Assyria’s success will turn on it. The Assyrians army is destroyed with “terrible power.” They limp home, thoroughly defeated.

Chapter 11 brings more words of hope. It is similar to 9:2-7. While Isaiah and later readers hoped for a David-like king in their time, for centuries Christians have read these words as words that foretold Jesus. A shoot, a king, will come from Jesse’s line. The Spirit of God will be upon him. The Spirit will give him wisdom, strength, knowledge, and a fear of the Lord. He will be a champion for the poor and the suffering. What a contrast to the leaders described at the start of chapter 10! Peace and harmony will abound. The nations and the survivors will stream to this king on the holy mountain. “On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out, and his dwelling will be glorious.” Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for continuing to shape and form us to be your people, to make us into who you created us to be. As you choose to use the powers and things of this world to refine and remake us, help us to see your hand of love guiding it all. Lead us to trust in your ways. Help us to faithfully walk the path illuminated by the light shining in the darkness. Amen.


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I’m here… Send me.

Reading: Isaiah 5-7

‭Isaiah 6:8 – “’Whom should I send, and who will go for us?’”… “‘I’m here; send me.'”

Isaiah 5 begins with God’s lament over Israel and Judah. They were planted as a vineyard in a land flowing with milk and honey. God cleared the nations before them, built a kingdom, ordered their living. But they turned rotten, choosing idols and other evils over God. So God removed the hedge of protection and allowed the vineyard to be trampled. God expected justice and righteousness but got bloodshed and distress.

Blame and judgment are given to the greedy, to the gluttons, to the cheaters, to the prideful, and to the oppressors. God extended a hand against them, a warning sign, but their evil persisted. So God called a nation from far away – “hurrying, swiftly they come!” Arrows sharpened, swords drawn, roaring like a lion, darkness comes.

Chapter 6 shifts everything as Isaiah finds himself in heaven. God is high and exalted. Winged creatures sing of God’s glory and holiness. Isaiah suddenly realizes that he is a sinner in God’s presence. A winged creature touches his unclean lips with a coal from the altar, purifying him. God asks aloud, “Whom should I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah responds, “I’m here; send me.” But God says to him, they won’t hear, they won’t see. Isaiah asks, “How long?” Sadly, until all lies in ruin and the people are in exile in a foreign land.

We find the beginning of this story in chapter 7. Aram and Israel unite against the approaching Assyrians. Judah refuses to join them, so they attack Jerusalem. This fails. God tells King Ahaz not to fear. They’re just “smoking torches” who will soon fall – before son born “Immanuel” learns to tell good from evil. Israel will fall and Judah will have a scary and powerful new neighbor.

Prayer: Lord God, how easily we see ourselves in these chapters. You have good plans for us and you make a way but we often fall off the path. We choose evil over good. We fall into sin yet you call us again and again to step into your grace, to be restored and made new again. You invite us into mission and service. Sometimes we do go willingly but often times we are fearful or selfish. You promise to be with us and to go with us. Help us to more regularly declare, “I’m here; send me.” Amen.


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God Is Our Hope

Reading: Isaiah 1-4

‭Isaiah 3:8-9 – “Yes, Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen… like Sodom, they display their sins in public.”

Today we begin with the prophets. Isaiah kicks off almost six weeks with the five “major” prophets. The original Isaiah ministered in the southern kingdom of Judah during the reigns of Ahaz and Hezekiah. Chapters 1-39, known as First Isaiah, were written around 700 BCE. Second and Third Isaiah pick up around 545 BCE. Today, in chapters 1-4, we find both judgment and hope. This balance is typical of the whole book of Isaiah.

Chapter 1 begins by detailing Judah’s sin and disobedience. They have turned their backs against God. They have endured beatings yet remain unfaithful. There are frequent references to Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities utterly destroyed by God because of their great sin. God is also disgusted by their sacrifices – just going through the motions! In verses 16-17 Judah is invited to change her ways, to do good instead. To do so will bring blessing. To continue walking in disobedience will bring sword and fire.

Chapter 2 begins with a hopeful vision of their possible future. This picks up again in chapter 4. Zion will be lifted up high and war will be no more. Zion will be called holy. Instruction will flow from her and nations will stream to her.

In between this hope we find the sins of Judah. The land is “filled with idols.” Pride and arrogance is rampant, especially amongst the leaders. A day is coming, says Isaiah, when all will suffer as the poor and needy currently are. God asks, “How dare you crush my people and grind the faces of the poor?” Sadly, this behavior continues today. Yet hope also persists. God is still in control. There is still a plan. God is our hope.

Prayer: Lord God, the battle continues on: obedience or disobedience, good or evil? In our lives we so need you. The powers and temptations of this world remain great. Idols and the lures of wealth and power ever pull at us. God, strengthen us with your Spirit. Hold us in your love. Amen.


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What Great Love

Reading: Song of Songs 5-8

‭Song of Songs 6:3 – “I belong to my lover and my lover belongs to me.”

Today’s reading begins with a dream or fantasy about a missed opportunity to be with her lover. She was sleeping but did finally go to the door, but he was gone. She searches but doesn’t find him. She longs for the one who is “radiant and ruddy… whose mouth is everything sweet.” Her friends ask where he has gone. He has gone to the garden. She worries not and declares, “I belong to my lover and my lover belongs to me.”

To him, she is an overwhelming site – as beautiful and lovely as Jerusalem. Even though there are 60 queens and 80 secondary wives, she is “my perfect one… one of a kind.” In chapter 7 he admires her. She is graceful and has “smooth curves.” She is “so beautiful, so lovely.” He has a strong desire for her. She makes another statement of belonging. This passionate and deeply intimate love is symbolic of the love possible between God and us. O how to see God this way. God sees us in this way.

Love is consummated as chapter 7 concludes. He holds her, embraces her. We find such a place in God’s embrace once we declare our commitment to God. God also longs to set “a seal over our hearts.” God longs for us to have a love for God that is “as strong as death.” God’s son modeled this kind of love for his father and for us. May we do so as well.

Prayer: Lord God, what great depth of love you have for us! What great passion and commitment is found in your heart. Help us to fully receive this love and then guide us to reflect it back out in our relationships and into the world. Amen.


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A Holy Covenant

Reading: Song of Songs 1-4

‭Song of Songs 4:12 – “An enclosed garden is my sister, my bride; an enclosed pool, a sealed spring.”

Today and tomorrow we read Song of Songs. On one level it is a song that celebrates the love of two people. On another level, it is an expression of the ideal love between God and humanity/Israel/the church – depending on your time reference. As we are in the Christian world, we will focus on the relationship between God (the man) and the church (the woman), both corporate and individual.

Chapter 1 expresses longing. The woman longs for the man’s kisses. The man brings her in and wants to exult and rejoice over her. God longs for our love. God longs to exult and rejoice over our faithfulness. The woman longs to be with him. He says to “follow the tracks of the herds.” We long for community and relationship with God. God says to follow the instructions, read my Word. They rejoice in one another’s beauty. We were created in the image of God. This is at the core of all of our relationships.

In chapter 2 the woman sees her live as an apple tree among the wild trees. We are invited to live holy lives, to be set apart from the world. She needs sustaining, weary from expressing her love. We too need God in many ways. God provides for us in numerous ways. He draws near and looks in on his love. He waits. God too longs to see us, to fear our voice. She declares that they belong to one another. Ideally we say this to God. God says, “I am the Lord your God… You are mine.”

Chapter 3 is a searching and a finding, a process that we repeat often with God. Once there, we find it beautiful too. Chapter 4 celebrates the beauty of the woman. The church is beautiful too when love and grace flow down and out into the world, reflecting God’s love and grace given to us. The man calls his love an “enclosed garden.” This implies a closed relationship, a holy covenant love. May it be so for you and for me in our relationship with God.

Prayer: Lord God, how lovely and beautiful you are! You are steadfast and true, coming to us again and again with a love that never fails, with a grace that never runs out. Lead and guide us to love you and one another in these same ways. Amen.


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Effort Matters

Reading: Ecclesiastes 9-12

‭Ecclesiastes 10:10 – “If an ax is dull and one doesn’t sharpen it first, then one must exert more force.”

Photo credit: Falaq Lazuardi

As we conclude Ecclesiastes today we begin with the remainder that the deeds of the righteous and wise are in God’s hands. Even so, death awaits us all. Chapter 12 alludes to our general decline as we age. The sun and light grow dark, people become afraid, and then “the human goes to the eternal abode.” The Teacher recognizes that there is a finality to this life.

But during our lives, the advice is to eat joyfully, to drink happily, to have oil for our heads, and to enjoy our “dearly loved spouse.” Even though all of our days are pointless, it is our part to play. So whenever we can, we should do these things with “all your might.”

The Teacher also recognizes that much is out of our control. The swift don’t always win the race. “Accidents can happen to anyone,” says the sage. When tragedy suddenly befalls us, we are like “fish caught in a net.”

Even so, we are encouraged to take pleasure in all of our years. Yes, there will be dark days. Yes, one day we’ll be called into account by God. And, yes, our deeds matter. The lazy – the cloud and wind watchers – won’t sow or harvest. Effort matters. In 10:10 we read, “If an ax is dull and one doesn’t sharpen it first, then one must exert more force.” Seek wisdom and knowledge and skill. Life will be better. Maybe, says the Teacher.

Ecclesiastes closes with a reminder to worship God and to obey the commands. It is what everyone must do, because, remember, judgment is coming. May it be so for you and for me.

Prayer: Lord God, in the grand scope of life, lead us day by day to enjoy life and all it has to offer. Put joy into the work of our hands and obedience into our hearts of faith. Amen.


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God Gets It

Reading: Proverbs 7-8

‭Ecclesiastes 7:14 – “When times are good, enjoy the good; when times are bad, consider: God has made the former as well as the latter.”

Chapter 7 begins with a reality. “The day of death is better than the birthday.” At the end of life one can reflect on the person’s good name. Death is all people’s fate so we should all “take it to heart.” Along these lines the sage notes that the end (or completion) of something is better than its beginning. Then we are reminded, “When times are good, enjoy the good; when times are bad, consider: God has made the former as well as the latter.” But, alas, sometimes it is still pointless too. Sometimes the righteous die young and the wicked enjoy long life. And then come some true words of wisdom: remember, there is no one so righteous that they never make a mistake (sin.) How true, how true.

Chapter 8 begins with the questions, “Who is wise? And who knows the meaning of anything?” Hope follows: keep the commands and meet no harm. The wise know there is a right time and place for everything. Yet human misfortunes are overwhelming because we don’t know when they will happen.

In verses 11-14 it feels like we’re spinning. Wrongdoers sin and sin but still live long lives. It’ll go well for those who fear God. It will not go well for the wicked. The righteous get what the wicked deserve and vice versa. The Teacher is right, “this too is pointless.”

Our reading closes with the commendation to enjoy life: eat, drink, be glad. These things accompany hard work. But, alas, no one can grasp what happens under the sun. Even the wise cannot grasp it. God gets it. God gets us. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, when it feels like it does for the Teacher, remind us of your presence, of your guidance, of your truth that we can find in and through the Holy Spirit. When life makes no sense, when it does seem unfathomable, hold us tight, maybe even carry us. Thank you for your constant and abiding loving presence always. Amen.


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A Different Answer

Reading: Ecclesiastes 3-6

‭Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “God has made everything fitting in its time, but has also placed eternity in their hearts.”

Chapter 3 begins with the familiar “There’s a time for everything.” We recognize times in our lives when we’ve experienced both halves of each pair. In verse 11 we read, “God has made everything fitting in its time, but has also placed eternity in their hearts.” While we don’t know the whole plan, the sage’s advice is still to eat, drink, and enjoy your work. These are gifts from God.

The Teacher also acknowledges the fragility of life. There is justice and wickedness in the world. All will be judged; all will return to dust. So enjoy what you’re allotted in life.

Unless you’re oppressed. The dead are more fortunate than these and the unborn are better off yet. And unless you’re a miser. They’re lonely and they’re never satisfied with wealth… That’s why two are better than one. Add God into the mix and it becomes better yet.

Speaking of God, in chapter 5 the Teacher advises us to watch our steps and to not be too quick to speak before God. Guard your actions too. Keep your promises to God, pronto! He then repeats familiar themes. The money lover is never satisfied. People hoard to their own detriment. All end like they started: naked and with nothing. But eat, drink, and enjoy your work. All are God’s gifts to us.

In chapter 6 we find a stark statement. Better to be a stillborn child without a grave than to be one not content with life’s good things. The chapter then closes with two questions: Who knows and who can say what the future holds? The implied and expected answer is “No one.” We have a different answer. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, you’ve designed and ordered the world for us to be content and to enjoy your good gifts of food, rest, and work. But we too envy and get caught up in chasing, accumulating, gathering… There is a finite nature to this life, yet you also place eternity in our hearts. May this be what guides and leads us each day. Amen.