“An ‘interesting’ and repeated refrain”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Isaiah 26:1-9 (Forward, p. 63) CEV p. 717
Often, the advice is given, when one looks at a passage of Scripture for the first time, that you look for repeated words, phrases, or themes. Well, certainly this advice is rather sound when it comes to today’s passage:
“Open the city gates for a law-abiding nation that is faithful to God” (verse 2).
“The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm” (verse 3).
“So always trust the Lord because he is forever our mighty rock” (verse 4).
As illustrated here, ideas of trusting in God, keeping faith with God, being faithful to God, are repeated several times. But that is not all. Our next verses speak of how that faith, that trust in God is put into practice:
Obedience: “Our Lord, you always do right, and you make the path
smooth for those who obey you” (verse 7)
Honour & respect: “You are the one we trust to bring about justice; above all else we want your name to be honoured” (verse 8).
Teachability (listening to God): “Throughout the night, my heart searches for you, because your decisions show everyone on earth how to live right” (verse 9).
And, the side benefits of this trust, this faith? Justice and guidance on how to live aright, how to live in God’s will.
Here, it is particularly noteworthy that these first verses are entirely future oriented. They are part of a song that Judah will utter sometime in the future, and so they are quite appropriate for this New Year’s Eve, as we, you and I, face an unknown, and somewhat scary and unpredictable future. So, maybe this song, with its admonitions to trust in God and remain firm in in our faith in Him, is most appropriate as our first resolve for the coming year.
Forward notes: “O Lord, we wait for you” (verse 8a).
“The prophet Isaiah found himself among a people who had lost hope. Their leaders were corrupt and self-serving; the people were divided one from another. The nation of Israel was terrorized by a small group of people, and fear roamed the land like a lion devouring its prey. Hope was far off, and fear and division took root in the people’s hearts. To this people, God sent the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah bore witness to God’s light breaking into the world.
“Fast forward a few millennia. In a small town, a promised child is born to a young Mary. Jesus’s birth among us was and is a reminder of our worth, a sign that God willingly entered our world, pointing us toward a different way.
“Being a witness to the light that is Jesus, as foretold by Isaiah, means that our lives, experiences, and very selves should reflect the Good News we find in Jesus Emmanuel. Bearing witness to the light is not always comfortable or easy, and it is certainly not without a cost. But it is a calling of the highest order and one we should seek to live into in this holy season of Christmas and always.”
Moving Forward: “Reflect on the ways you have carried the light of Christ—and when you have failed. What will you do differently in the new year?”