Lord, Prepare US to Be a Sanctuary; Isaiah 66, 2 Kings 21, 2 Chron. 33

May the mumbling commence!

And where does the Spirit of the Lord choose to rest?  Where is the true temple of the Lord?  Read from the final chapter of Isaiah:

            This is what the Lord says:

            "Heaven is my throne,

                   and the earth is my footstool.

            Where is the house you will build for me?

                   Where will my resting place be? 

            Has not my hand made all these things,

                   and so they came into being?" declares the Lord.

            "This is the one I esteem:

                  he who is humble and contrite in spirit,

                  and trembles at my word. 

            But whoever sacrifices a bull

                  is like one who kills a man,

            and whoever offers a lamb,

                  like one who breaks a dog's neck;

            whoever makes a grain offering

                  is like one who presents pig's blood,

            and whoever burns memorial incense,

                  like one who worships an idol.

            They have chosen their own ways,

                  and their souls delight in their abominations; 

            so I also will choose harsh treatment for them

                  and will bring upon them what they dread.

            For when I called, no one answered,

                 when I spoke, no one listened.

            They did evil in my sight

                 and chose what displeases me." (66:1-4)

The temple of the Lord stands firmly in the one who is humble and contrite in spirit – in one who trembles at the Word of the Lord.  The true temple of the Lord is not made of wood and stone and precious metals and precious stones.  The temple of the Lord is constructed of a people who humble themselves unto the Lord, patiently seek out His calling, and remain always attentive to His calling.  The Lord lives in the hearts of those transformed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Without this kind of heart, all the sacrifices and offerings and memorials are useless.  Without this kind of heart, sermons and hymns and prayers are without effect.  Obedience is always better than sacrifice!  Read about the beginning of the reign of Manasseh from 2 Kings Chapter 21:

            Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother's name was Hephzibah.  He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.  He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.  He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, "In Jerusalem I will put my Name."  In both courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts.  He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 

            He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, "In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever.  I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their forefathers, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them."  But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites. (Verses 1-9)

King Manasseh led the people into sin, and the Lord forsook them as His temple.  Israel had become more evil than the nations the Lord used them to drive out!  God humbled Manasseh before the King of Assyria, and Manasseh responded in humility – even such an evil king was given another chance!  Manasseh undid much of the evil he had done (2 Chronicles 33:10-16).

Lord, prepare us to be your sanctuary!

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

A Fly in the Ointment; Isaiah 61

May the mumbling commence!

With the Lord’s Kingdom, the best is always yet to come.  So, why does there always seem like there’s a fly in the ointment?  Like we once asked the waiter, we now ask of God: What is this fly doing in my soup?  Today’s Scripture reading includes Isaiah 61.  Isaiah 61 is the chapter that Jesus used as his first preaching text according to the gospel of Luke.  Read Isaiah 61 in its entirety below:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

             because the Lord has anointed me

             to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

             to proclaim freedom for the captives

            and release from darkness for the prisoners, 

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor

            and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

            and provide for those who grieve in Zion –

to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

            the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

           a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. 

They will rebuild the ancient ruins

           and restore the places long devastated;

they will renew the ruined cities

          that have been devastated for generations. 

Aliens will shepherd your flocks;

          foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 

And you will be called priests of the Lord,

         you will be named ministers of our God.

You will feed on the wealth of nations,

         and in their riches you will boast. 

Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion,

and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance;

and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,

          and everlasting joy will be theirs. 

“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity.

In my faithfulness I will reward them

          and make an everlasting covenant with them. 

Their descendants will be known among the nations

          and their offspring among the peoples.

All who see them will acknowledge

          that they are a people the Lord has blessed." 

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

          and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,

          and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 

For as the soil makes the sprout come up   

          and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness

          and praise spring up before all nations.  

What good news for the nation of Israel!  They would again come to a time when they had the upper hand, when they were no longer the people to be trampled upon and abused.  No longer would they be poor or brokenhearted or captives or prisoners.  They would be reunited with their Lord.  I am sure those waiting for Jesus to teach on this passage from Isaiah were ready for a party. 

But Jesus decided to concentrate his words on the words in the blue.  Yes, Jesus spoke about the Lord’s work in bringing good news to the poor, in binding up the brokenhearted, in freeing the captives, and in releasing the prisoners.  Indeed, Jesus was proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor.  He told those people that these words were fulfilled in their hearing. 

At this point, I am sure the “Amen Corner” was revved up and quite vocal.  But, then, Jesus’ teaching on the passage took an unexpected return.  Jesus spoke of the prophets Elijah and Elisha.  He spoke of their ministry to Gentiles – to aliens, to foreigners!  He asked if there weren’t women and men of Israel who could have benefited from the miracles given unto foreigners.  Of course there were!  And Jesus’ hearers knew it. 

And a hush fell over the “Amen Corner.”  A mob quickly formed that was bent on throwing Jesus off a cliff that the town stood on.  The people were not happy with the fly in their ointment, the fly in their Scripture soup.  Jesus was redefining the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, and the prisoners to include everyone – including those who oppressed them. 

The justice and righteousness that God desires is not for one nation or people only.  Justice and righteousness are to be for everyone.  To gain true justice and righteousness, our visceral and vindictive spirits must be put to permanent rest.  Justice and righteousness is a dish best served with warm empathy and spiced with humility.  Both captor and captive need to be released so that the pattern will be forever broken. 

May God reign! 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

May the mumbling commence!

Do we view the worship of the Lord as an excuse to do as we please?  Or do we faithfully remain attentive to what would please the Lord?  Isaiah 58 looks at the practices of fasting and Sabbath keeping.  Read these portions of this chapter:

            “Why have we fasted,' they say,

                      'and you have not seen it?

            Why have we humbled ourselves,

                      and you have not noticed?'

            Yet on the day of your fasting,

                     you do as you please and exploit all your workers. 

            Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,

                     and in striking each other with wicked fists.

            You cannot fast as you do today

                     and expect your voice to be heard on high. 

            Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,

                    only a day for a man to humble himself?

            Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed

                    and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?

            Is that what you call a fast,

                    a day acceptable to the Lord? 

            Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

            to loose the chains of injustice

                    and untie the cords of the yoke,

            to set the oppressed free

                   and break every yoke? 

            Is it not to share your food with the hungry

                   and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter –

            when you see the naked, to clothe him,

                  and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 

            Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

                  and your healing will quickly appear;

            then your righteousness will go before you,

                  and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 

            Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

                  you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.” (Verses 3-9a)

            "If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath

                   and from doing as you please on my holy day,

            if you call the Sabbath a delight

                   and the Lord's holy day honorable,

            and if you honor it by not going your own way

                   and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, 

            then you will find your joy in the Lord,

                   and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land

                  and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob."

            The mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Verses 13-14)

Doing as we please and defining our relationship with the Lord and others as we please will get us into a heap of trouble.  Though we, as a whole, in the United States, are unfamiliar with the concept of fasting; we are at least aware of the concept of Sabbath keeping.  So, how do we define Sabbath keeping? 

Like many others, I would define Sabbath keeping as a day of rest.  Resting would be quite a witness to the 24/7 world around us.  Resting and worshiping – they best define my concept of Sabbath keeping.  But, to be truthful, I would also define Sabbath keeping as having some “me time.”  Because of the rat race and all of my many roles and responsibilities, is it too much to ask for some “me time?”  I could spend some time doing what I please to do. 

Then I read this passage from Isaiah 58.  Ouch!  Let’s think a little bit deeper.  Sabbath is not about honoring me; it is about honoring the Lord.  Rest is good – but not at the expense of our relationship with the Lord and others.  Does my rest include going out to eat or shopping?  If it does, then I am asking others to work when I refuse to.  I am speaking idle words and doing as I please. 

And, sometimes, my “me time” gets in the way of participating in worship – even when I am physically there but mentally thinking about what else I will do later in the day.  I take time to ask the Lord: What would you have me do on Your Sabbath day?

And what about this fasting?  When we think of fasting in relationship to food, we may think of the myriad of fast food restaurants and microwave meals – FAST FOOD.  With this mindset, we read about Israel’s concept of fasting; and we think it is pretty pious.  Fasting is to humble ourselves before the Lord.  But when the road to fasting creates strife and exploitation, it is empty. 

What does God ask of us in fasting?  We fast as a vehicle to obtain justice for everyone – to set the prisoners and oppressed people free, to feed the hungry, to provide shelter for the homeless, to clothe the naked.  We fast to save money that we give freely in our worship during the Sabbath – money and action to obtain a tangible justice for the most vulnerable. 

Forgive us, O Lord, for our empty practices of worship.  May we seek to honor You not ourselves. 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out  

The Ultimate Comfort Food; Isaiah 51-55

May the mumbling commence!

In Isaiah Chapters 51-55, we find a smorgasbord of the perfect comfort foods.  Do you know how it feels to eat at an all-you-can-eat buffet?  Well, I feel a little overstuffed with the rich fair of these passages.  So, what is the perfect comfort food?  Read from Chapter 55, which starts with an invitation to come eat and drink:

            Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. 

            Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.

            Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,

                         and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 

            "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

                         neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. 

            "As the heavens are higher than the earth,

                         so are my ways higher than your ways

                        and my thoughts than your thoughts. 

            As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

            and do not return to it without watering the earth

            and making it bud and flourish,

                       so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 

            so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

                       It will not return to me empty,

            but will accomplish what I desire

                      and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. 

            You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;

            the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,

            and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 

            Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree,

                      and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

            This will be for the Lord's renown,

                      for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed."  (6-13)

The Word of the Lord is the perfect comfort food.  It is the Lord who calms the seas and makes a path (Is 51:10).  It is the same Lord who churns up the seas for those who oppose Him (Is 51:15).  We need fear no one or nothing else in our lives.

But, what about the trouble that we make for ourselves – how does the prefect comfort food cure that?  Like when we stay in the midst of sin.  Isaiah 52 proclaims the peace and joy of those who depend on the Lord.  Depart and the Lord will go before you to guide you and behind you to protect you (Is 52:11-12).

How does this perfect comfort food cure our own stubborn sinfulness?  The cure is found in the greatest expression of the Word of the Lord – the suffering servant, Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 53 tells us of the work of the Suffering Servant that permanently solves the indigestion of sin in our lives.  Read the last few verses of that chapter:

            Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

                        and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering,

            he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

                        and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. 

            After the suffering of his soul,

                        he will see the light of life and be satisfied;

            by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,

                        and he will bear their iniquities. 

            Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,

                        and he will divide the spoils with the strong,

            because he poured out his life unto death,

                        and was numbered with the transgressors.

            For he bore the sin of many,

                       and made intercession for the transgressors.   (10-12)

This Suffering Servant does NOT glorify suffering alone.  It is suffering with a purpose – like the suffering of childbirth.  Through his actions, Christ Jesus took all our sins upon himself.  Christ’s faithfulness to the heavenly Father made atonement – once and for all – for Christ Jesus was the perfect guilt or sin offering.  All my sins are forgiven.  All your sins are forgiven.  All our sins are forgiven.  What a cause for comfort, for joy, and for peace!  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Paying Attention - Even When It Doesn't Seem to Pay; Isaiah 48-50

May the mumbling commence!

Pay attention – even when it does not seem to pay.  Just because we did not pay attention the first time does not mean that we should not learn from our past mistakes.  We should learn to run from those mistakes – even when running would seem to hurt our bottom line.  Paying attention to the Lord will cost us in the short term, but it will bless us beyond our wildest imaginings in eternal time – which is both a quality and quantity of time.  Read from Isaiah 48:17-22 –

            This is what the Lord says – your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:

            "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you,

                        who directs you in the way you should go. 

            If only you had paid attention to my commands,

                        your peace would have been like a river,

                        your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 

            Your descendants would have been like the sand,

                        your children like its numberless grains;

            their name would never be cut off nor destroyed from before me." 

            Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians!

            Announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it.

            Send it out to the ends of the earth;

                         say, "The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob." 

            They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts;

                         he made water flow for them from the rock;

            he split the rock and water gushed out. 

            "There is no peace," says the Lord, "for the wicked." 

Babylon was leader of the world.  Good fortune came to those who walked in step with Babylon.  But Babylon was drunk with all her accomplishments.  Babylon was not paying attention to the Lord, who raised her up to afflict Israel.  And the Lord had raised Israel up to afflict those peoples who were living in Canaan.  Do we see a pattern here? 

That is why Israel is commanded to flee from Babylon.  Babylon was going to suffer the same fate as Israel and as the Canaanites of old.  Indeed, run away.  Run back to the Lord – even when it does not make sense in human wisdom.  There is no lasting peace for the wicked.  We have an example we are to follow – that of the Servant of the Lord, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Read about him from Isaiah Chapters 49 and 50:

            Before I was born the Lord called me;

                      from my birth he has made mention of my name. 

            He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,

                      in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

            he made me into a polished arrow

                      and concealed me in his quiver. 

            He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel,

                      in whom I will display my splendor." 

            But I said, "I have labored to no purpose;

                     I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.

           Yet what is due me is in the Lord's hand,

                    and my reward is with my God." 

           And now the Lord says –

                    he who formed me in the womb to be his servant

                    to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself,

                    for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord

                    and my God has been my strength –

           he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

                    to restore the tribes of Jacob

                    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

           I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

                   that you may bring my salvation

                   to the ends of the earth." (49:1b-6)

                     See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

     your walls are ever before me. (49:16)

           

           The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue,

                   to know the word that sustains the weary.

           He wakens me morning by morning,

                   wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. 

           The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears,

                   and I have not been rebellious;

                   I have not drawn back. 

           I offered my back to those who beat me,

                   my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;

           I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. 

           Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.

           Therefore have I set my face like flint,

                  and I know I will not be put to shame. 

           He who vindicates me is near.

                   Who then will bring charges against me?

                   Let us face each other!

           Who is my accuser? Let him confront me! 

            It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.

                    Who is he that will condemn me?

            They will all wear out like a garment;

                     the moths will eat them up. 

             Who among you fears the Lord

                     and obeys the word of his servant? 

             Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light,

                     trust in the name of the Lord

                     and rely on his God. (50:4-10)

By the accounts of the world, Jesus is a failure.  By the accounts of the Lord, Jesus is the Greatest Overcomer. 

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out