“A note of hope”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Isaiah 2:1-11 (Forward, p. 36) CEV p. 696
Books of the Bible that are largely composed of poetry, like Isaiah, present something of a challenge to the casual readers. That is because the various pieces of poetry often exist as stand-alone passages, devoid of any context and seldom with any kind of explanation as to their setting.
Thus, you have chapter one, which is largely occupied with a detailed and rather nauseating description of Judah’s wrong doings, especially its injustice and ‘fake’ religion, and the latter part of chapter two, which deals with its reliance upon idols, material wealth and military weaponry. God warns them that all these things will inevitably fail them.
However, in verses 1-5, we find something totally different: we have a nation, indeed many nations, that sincerely seek the Lord, who want to know His will and His ways, and who earnestly endeavour to serve Him. Indeed, we are told that God will settle disputes between nations and that wars, and preparations for war, will be no more. They will live ‘by the light of the Lord.’
So, how can this be? Well, chapter one offers some hints here and there. In verses 16-19, Judah is invited to come back to the Lord for restoration, forgiveness, cleansing and a brand-new start. If she will be willingly obey God and pursue justice for a change, then new things are possible. And so, we have a glorious note of hope in the midst of studied bleakness.
So, can we expropriate these promises, this scenario, for ourselves? Are there any parallels between their world and ours? I think so. Certainly, we have a present-day world that relies on false gods of various sorts, and which puts a great deal of stock in military build-ups. And certainly justice isn’t always done, or seen to be done. But, as for the promise of peace, it almost seems too good to be true to see an end of war and warmongering. However, who knows what might happen if we resolutely turn back to God and seek to know His ways and obey His will? Who knows what might happen? Isn’t worth the try?
Forward notes: “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” (verse 5)
“Growing up, my friends and I would play outside until the streetlights came on, and then we would make our way home. One of our favourite games was Red Light, Green Light, in which you had to stay as still as possible to avoid being called out. I was always afraid of getting caught as I tried to catch the leader unaware. Fear was my motivation. In our walk of faith, we can succumb to the Red Light, Green Light mindset, allowing fear to keep us behind closed doors or focused on ourselves instead of others. But ours is not a faith that is rooted in fear. Jesus, whose coming we await, calls us back to a place of peace and stillness, reminding us that in the midst of fear, we find faith.
“Theologian Karl Barth was once asked what was the most significant theological insight of his life. He responded, ‘Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’ That is what it comes down to. We must learn to love each other and see each one of us as sharing the same hopes and dreams, aspirations and longings, so that together we can transform nightmares into dreams, move from fear to faith, and walk in the light of the Lord.”
Moving Forward: “How would you respond to the question posed to Barth?”