pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: shatter


by Leave a comment

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.


by Leave a comment

A Child Is Born

Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7

Verse 6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.”

Photo credit: Ben White

Chapter 9 begins by speaking of one who will “honor Galilee of the Gentiles.” While this verse is not in today’s passage, it is important to recognize the messianic implications given in the lead-in into today’s prophecy from Isaiah. Jesus will minister to and connect to the Gentiles – which was considered anyone outside of the Jewish faith.

The prophecy begins, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” There are many ways that one can walk in the darkness. The primary way is living outside of a relationship with the Lord. Living in the world and following the ways of the world provide ample opportunities to be selfish, greedy, prideful… To know Jesus is to know the light. His light exposes these evils and lights our path, drawing us into a personal relationship with him.

In verse 4 we read that “you have shattered the yoke that burdens them.” There are many ways that the Lord can do this. We often first think of Jesus breaking the chains of sin and death. He certainly does that! But Jesus shatters other yokes too – some are the lies that the world and Satan tell us about things like success, power, status, beauty… Others are struggles like loneliness, poor health, anxiety, doubt… Our friend and Savior and redeemer Jesus wants to walk with us through all of life, bringing peace, hope, joy, and love into our lives not just during Advent but all the time.

Isaiah’s prophecy states, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” To us and for us, God took on flesh and came into the world. God laid aside heaven to be with us. What a gift this is. This action opened the door for a more personal and intimate relationship with God. Through dwelling with us, Christ opened the door to dwell in us in Spirit. What a friend, guide, Savior, and redeemer we have in Jesus. What a gift!

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for fulfilling these words that you long ago gave to Isaiah – for coming as a child, for being light in our darkness, for being our Wonderful Counselor, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace. Reign and rule in our hearts this day and forevermore. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Bars and Rods

Reading: Isaiah 9:4 – “For as in the days of Midian, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.”

Devotional writer Hannah Adair Bonner uses a great analogy in her writing on this verse. She invites us to remember a time when we carried too many grocery bags. For me it usually comes from the “I can make it in one trip” thought. She then asks us to recall how we felt when we made it to the kitchen or wherever it was that we plopped the bags down. Bonner then flips the scenario a bit, asking us to think of a time when someone came along and helped, relieving our burden, making sure that we could make it. Bringing her point home, she notes that the burdens many carry in life are “much more complicated than groceries.”

In our short text God was the one who came alongside Israel as she struggled under a burden. The bar and rod of the oppressor was heavy upon the nation’s shoulders. God saw the struggle and responded by shattering the yoke. God broke it into itty bitty pieces. What oppressed people in your circles or in your community? Is it a lack of resources – food, shelter, clothing, heat, water, medical care, education, employment? It is a hard circumstance – addiction, abuse, incarceration, neglect, illness? Or are they under the rod of injustice or racism or sexism or some other evil? And the reality for most folks who are burdened is this: they are not carrying just one bag.

How will you respond to what you see? How will I? Let us begin as God did, coming alongside those who are burdened. Then may we seek to bring relief. And as our relationship and understanding grows, then may we seek to be breakers of rods and bars. May it be so as we seek to reveal God to this hurting and damaged world.

Prayer: Lord God, open my eyes and my heart. Seeing and feeling, put me to doing. Amen.


by Leave a comment

The Light!

Readings: Isaiah 9:1-4 and Matthew 4:12-17

Verse 16: “The people living in darkness have seen a great light.” (Matthew 4)

Our passages today are connected. In Isaiah 9 we read a prophecy about a day to come when one who is light walks among the Gentiles. At the time of this writing it would have been a radical thing to consider. It was maybe even a bit scandalous. God, our God, stepping outside this tightly constructed circle drawn securely around Israel? How could that ever be?! God is the God of Israel. Those Gentiles are clearly outside of God’s love, mercy, light…

Fast forward several hundred years and Jesus, God in the flesh, moves into the land of the Gentiles. Doing so, Jesus begins to fulfill these words of Isaiah: “The people living in darkness have seen a great light.” Darkness was and continues to be an absence of God’s presence. Light was and is God’s presence. Coming as the light that illuminates the darkness, Jesus proclaims: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near.” Repent, turn away from the darkness within. Turn and walk in the light as the Christ has come. The light is here.

Turning back to Isaiah 4, we see the result of walking in the light, of walking with Jesus Christ. There is a joy and a rejoicing that comes from a life lived in Christ. There is a freedom from the darkness: “You have shattered the yoke that burdens them.” The light of Christ in our hearts wards off the darkness. And even when we stumble and stray into the darkness now and again, the light always shines, drawing us back even as it drives away the darkness. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, let your light shine into my life, showing me the way to go, lighting the path that you would have me walk. When temptation creeps in, blast it with your light. O light of the world, be with me always. Amen.


by Leave a comment

Unto Us, To Us

Reading: Isaiah 9: 2-7

Verses 6-7: “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given… He will reign with righteousness and justice… forever”.

Early in the book of Isaiah the prophet writes to a people living in the darkness and suffering of exile. They are enduring the consequences of their corporate disobedience to God. At the start of chapter nine Isaiah writes, “there will be no more gloom” – the time in exile is coming to an end – and he writes, “in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles” – a region containing Nazareth, hometown of the Lord.

Our passage today begins with these Christmas words: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light”. The light of the world is coming. Almighty God, born in the flesh, will bring light and holiness into the world, driving away the darkness and evil. In verse four Isaiah again speaks Jesus words, saying, “you have shattered the yoke that burdens them”. The Prince of Peace will give all for humanity, forever breaking the bonds of sin and death, bringing true peace to all who believe.

In verses six and seven we read these words of Isaiah that draw our minds to the Messiah: “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given… He will reign with righteousness and justice… forever”. Born of the virgin Mary, conceived of the Holy Spirit, the child is for us, given to us – to save, redeem, and restore us and our world, to be our Wonderful Counselor, to die for us, to rise and dwell in us and with us forever. The Everlasting Father, born of the flesh, comes to be a part of our world and our lives… forever! His birth we celebrate today. Thanks be to God for the gift of Light, unto us, for us, forever.

Prayer: God of all the universe, in a humble way you came into our world. You walked among us seeking to do nothing but give of yourself in love. You left this world doing just that once again. And now and forevermore you rule with love and mercy, hope and peace, justice and joy. Thank you for being my Savior. Amen.


by 1 Comment

A Bit More

Reading: Isaiah 9: 3-4

Verse 4a: “You have shattered the yoke that burdens them”.

The opening section of Isaiah 9 is titled “Into Us a Child Is Born” and it references the birth of the “wonderful counselor… the prince of peace”. Isaiah begins earlier in the chapter stating “a light has dawned” as he explains how the people walking in darkness see the light. In his time, Isaiah is writing to a people living in exile. The coming of the light will occur in about 700 years and the exile will last about 200 years – until at last the people return to the promised land. Isaiah calls the people to look forward to the time when God will restore them. In doing so, Isaiah casts a vision of hope.

In our time, when we see people struggling, some living in darkness, we can also help bring light, casting a vision for hope. Maybe all we can do is provide for a basic need like fuel for the heater or food for the stomach. Maybe all we can do is to contribute to the offering for toiletries for the elderly or to donate to the coat drive at school. Maybe all we can do is to walk alongside a friend as they seek to walk the steps of a recovery program. Maybe all we can do is to be present and to sit with someone in the pain of grief and loss.

In our passage today, in verse four, Isaiah writes about how God “shattered the yoke that burdens them”. This will happen for Isaiah’s audience as God leads the people out from under the oppression of exile and back into the land that God intended them to live in. This act brought freedom to the Israelites. Many years later, Jesus modeled how to bring freedom to broken and hurting souls. Some if it did begin by meeting basic needs – like when he fed the large crowds. Some if it began by hearing their brokenness and then doing something about it, helping them find hope – like with the woman caught in adultery. In love, Jesus brought light to many people’s darkness.

When we offer assistance, when we help out, when we encourage and support, when we walk with another, when we bring comfort, we too are bringing light into darkness, we too are removing the yoke that burdens. It may only be temporary in many cases. Perhaps tomorrow or yet another day we can lift it a bit more and then a bit more, opening the door one day for Jesus to come into their hearts. May it ever be so.

Prayer: Father God, even in our small community there is much need. There are many who feel a yoke across their backs. Guide me today to help lift those burdens where I can. Give me eyes to see and hands to act and words to bring light and hope. Thank you, God. Amen.