2nd Sunday of Advent 12004-05 Text: Isaiah 40:1-12 Title: Construction ahead
2nd Sunday of Advent
12/04/2005
Text: Isaiah 40:1-12
Title: Construction Ahead
My fellow missionaries please join me in prayer. Eternal God, pour out your Spirit upon us that we might be aware of your presence in our midst, that we might be attentive to your Word, and that we might be faithful always to your way, through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen
No finer text could have been chosen from the Old Testament for Advent than the great opening words of the second half of Isaiah’s inspired writings as we find them in chapter 40. They speak on two different levels. First they speak to the actual people they were written for, a people in exile. Secondly they speak to us today as we live our lives in exile from our Promised Land, heaven.
So that you might get a better understanding of what I mean by this I need to give you a little background on Isaiah and the circumstances of the prophecy. Isaiah lived around 754 B. C. It was a bad time in the kingdoms of the south and north. They had for the most part fallen away from God. The particular prophecy that we are looking at this morning was given some 125 years before God’s chosen people were exiled to Babylon. There they would remain until around 539 B. C., another 100 years, before God would use the ungodly King Cyrus of Persia to free his people by conquering the Babylonians that had taken them into exile.
I am mentioning all those dates because I want you to know that even before the Israelites were put into captivity by the Babylonians that God announced that he would bring them back as a forgiven people.
Notice that at the end of verse one he calls them “My people.” Those two words carry a lot of weight, for they tell us God will not abandon his people, even when they turn their backs on him.
In verse 2 we see that Isaiah is to tell the people even before they have been exiled that they will receive comfort three different ways. We know this by the words “has been” which simply means that the comfort they will receive is in their future, is a done deal in God’s mind.
First, they have completed their service, the Hebrew word that is translated in our text as “service” actually means “warfare” a much stronger word. They are through with the hardship of warfare and he is bringing them home.
I don’t think that it would be too much of a stretch to compare their comfort to the comfort a soldier feels when they have done their time and are brought home. Or the comfort some hurricane Katrina evacuees say they have when they are allowed to return to their homes.
The second reason why he is telling them they will be comforted is that “Their sin has been paid for.” What a comfort that is! God, in his compassion has already settled their guilt. It is not because they have been punished enough as some read the text, but because of the death of Jesus, an event that will not take place for another 275 years.
The third comfort he is to tell them about is that “she, meaning the Israelites, have received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” Now all that simply means is that they will receive in place of their sins, double grace and blessing. Double grace and blessing, now that has to have been a comfort to them if nothing else was.
God is telling us the same thing today. Be comforted my people. I have rescued you from the warfare you have with the evil one and your sinful flesh. Be comforted my people, for you don’t have to worry if you have done enough to please me. You don’t have to worry if you have been to church enough, or prayed enough, or told enough people about Christ, or lived a perfect life. Don’t worry, for I have covered all that for you. Be comforted my people.
Last but not least he tells us don’t get bent out of shape or afraid with what is happening in your life right now, or for that matter in the world, for “I am here,” and “I love you so much that I am going to bless you in ways that you can’t even imagine. Just trust in me and you will see, for you are my chosen people, a royal priesthood.” Now that is comforting.
Sounds good doesn’t it and it is, but there is even more comfort for as we get to verses 3 though 5 we hear, “Get that earthmover in here! Get that blasting crew going! We need some dynamite here! Hurry up with those dozers!”
This part of the text is a hard-hat only area; vast tracts of land are going to be leveled. A highway is going through. It is not going around the mountains. It is not going through the valleys because this highway is the highway Christ is coming to us on. God is on his way. He does not reroute for anything or anybody. Nothing can stand in his way, not granite peaks, or deep and steep ravines, nothing; nothing at all stands in his way. Now there are two types of comfort found in these verses. First we are not the ones that have to do the work, God does it all. That is a comfort. Secondly we know just like the Israelites knew that what God promises he delivers. And that is a comfort.
Saint Mark tells us that these verses are talking about John the Baptist, and they are, but they are also prophesying about Jesus. Who else can flatten mountains, and fill in valleys, level the ground. or make straight the road. These verses have to be also talking about Jesus and what he did while he was with us on this earth. Think about it for a moment, didn’t his death and resurrection do all those things as he prepared the highway for God to come to us, his holy people.
Because we are running out of time lets move on to verses 6 through 8 of our text. Notice the mood has changed, at least it appears to have changed. God is now describing our lives. We all know, even though there are not many people that will admit to it, that we are like the grass that grows today and is dead tomorrow. All we have to do is look in the mirror to see that it is true; the gray hair, crows feet around the eyes, aching bones, all the other signs of aging. No, we know it is true and it is not very comforting to know that we are withering away.
In fact we might be feeling somewhat withered right now. How many times this past week have you come home at the end of the day exhausted, where all you could do was drop onto the couch or your favorite chair?
Every thing seems so pointless. You work harder and harder so that you can have more leisure time, and yet you never seem to have enough time to spend in leisurely activities. Or if you do have enough time, you rush through your leisure time trying to pack as much in as you can, thus coming home more tired than when you left. Doesn’t make much sense does it?
You spend years planning for retirement, then the one that you planned to spend that retirement time with dies.
You think you have done everything right into developing a loving, trusting relationship with your children, but we all know how few times that works out.
It is enough to get depressed over, for we know that even as much as we would like to control our lives and those around us we are doomed to fail in the end. It is pointless, at least it seems that way.
But there is hope, not as in this might take place type of hope, but the hope of knowing that it will take place. Take a look at the last half of verse 8. You probably didn’t even notice it, but hope is there. See it, “The Word of our God stands forever.”
“The Word of God stands forever.” What a comfort those words are, for you know that even though you really are like the grass that grows today and withers tomorrow, or maybe like this Hibiscus flower that blooms today and then dries up and falls off the plant, that God’s Word will never fade away, and you are comforted.
You know and are comforted by God’s words to you; for you know that your name has been written with his blood into the Book of Life
You may feel withered, crushed or faded at the end of the day, but God will refresh you through the remembrance of your baptism, for it was in your baptism that you were joined with Christ.
You might think that think your dreams, your plans, your families are coming to nothing, but remember that Christ has told you in Ephesians 3, 20 through 21 that he has plans for you that are far beyond your wildest dreams.
Take comfort my fellow missionaries, for what God promises he fulfills. There is nothing that can resist him. There is no obstacle that will stand in his way. There is comfort for the poor withered soul.
Listen with me once more to the words of comfort that God told Isaiah to tell his chosen people thousands of years ago. That I, as your pastor are to also share with you.
Listen once more to God, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, (that’s all of you all) and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” God is not talking about punishment here folks, but forgiveness and comfort. That is good news. Amen.
12/04/2005
Text: Isaiah 40:1-12
Title: Construction Ahead
My fellow missionaries please join me in prayer. Eternal God, pour out your Spirit upon us that we might be aware of your presence in our midst, that we might be attentive to your Word, and that we might be faithful always to your way, through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen
No finer text could have been chosen from the Old Testament for Advent than the great opening words of the second half of Isaiah’s inspired writings as we find them in chapter 40. They speak on two different levels. First they speak to the actual people they were written for, a people in exile. Secondly they speak to us today as we live our lives in exile from our Promised Land, heaven.
So that you might get a better understanding of what I mean by this I need to give you a little background on Isaiah and the circumstances of the prophecy. Isaiah lived around 754 B. C. It was a bad time in the kingdoms of the south and north. They had for the most part fallen away from God. The particular prophecy that we are looking at this morning was given some 125 years before God’s chosen people were exiled to Babylon. There they would remain until around 539 B. C., another 100 years, before God would use the ungodly King Cyrus of Persia to free his people by conquering the Babylonians that had taken them into exile.
I am mentioning all those dates because I want you to know that even before the Israelites were put into captivity by the Babylonians that God announced that he would bring them back as a forgiven people.
Notice that at the end of verse one he calls them “My people.” Those two words carry a lot of weight, for they tell us God will not abandon his people, even when they turn their backs on him.
In verse 2 we see that Isaiah is to tell the people even before they have been exiled that they will receive comfort three different ways. We know this by the words “has been” which simply means that the comfort they will receive is in their future, is a done deal in God’s mind.
First, they have completed their service, the Hebrew word that is translated in our text as “service” actually means “warfare” a much stronger word. They are through with the hardship of warfare and he is bringing them home.
I don’t think that it would be too much of a stretch to compare their comfort to the comfort a soldier feels when they have done their time and are brought home. Or the comfort some hurricane Katrina evacuees say they have when they are allowed to return to their homes.
The second reason why he is telling them they will be comforted is that “Their sin has been paid for.” What a comfort that is! God, in his compassion has already settled their guilt. It is not because they have been punished enough as some read the text, but because of the death of Jesus, an event that will not take place for another 275 years.
The third comfort he is to tell them about is that “she, meaning the Israelites, have received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” Now all that simply means is that they will receive in place of their sins, double grace and blessing. Double grace and blessing, now that has to have been a comfort to them if nothing else was.
God is telling us the same thing today. Be comforted my people. I have rescued you from the warfare you have with the evil one and your sinful flesh. Be comforted my people, for you don’t have to worry if you have done enough to please me. You don’t have to worry if you have been to church enough, or prayed enough, or told enough people about Christ, or lived a perfect life. Don’t worry, for I have covered all that for you. Be comforted my people.
Last but not least he tells us don’t get bent out of shape or afraid with what is happening in your life right now, or for that matter in the world, for “I am here,” and “I love you so much that I am going to bless you in ways that you can’t even imagine. Just trust in me and you will see, for you are my chosen people, a royal priesthood.” Now that is comforting.
Sounds good doesn’t it and it is, but there is even more comfort for as we get to verses 3 though 5 we hear, “Get that earthmover in here! Get that blasting crew going! We need some dynamite here! Hurry up with those dozers!”
This part of the text is a hard-hat only area; vast tracts of land are going to be leveled. A highway is going through. It is not going around the mountains. It is not going through the valleys because this highway is the highway Christ is coming to us on. God is on his way. He does not reroute for anything or anybody. Nothing can stand in his way, not granite peaks, or deep and steep ravines, nothing; nothing at all stands in his way. Now there are two types of comfort found in these verses. First we are not the ones that have to do the work, God does it all. That is a comfort. Secondly we know just like the Israelites knew that what God promises he delivers. And that is a comfort.
Saint Mark tells us that these verses are talking about John the Baptist, and they are, but they are also prophesying about Jesus. Who else can flatten mountains, and fill in valleys, level the ground. or make straight the road. These verses have to be also talking about Jesus and what he did while he was with us on this earth. Think about it for a moment, didn’t his death and resurrection do all those things as he prepared the highway for God to come to us, his holy people.
Because we are running out of time lets move on to verses 6 through 8 of our text. Notice the mood has changed, at least it appears to have changed. God is now describing our lives. We all know, even though there are not many people that will admit to it, that we are like the grass that grows today and is dead tomorrow. All we have to do is look in the mirror to see that it is true; the gray hair, crows feet around the eyes, aching bones, all the other signs of aging. No, we know it is true and it is not very comforting to know that we are withering away.
In fact we might be feeling somewhat withered right now. How many times this past week have you come home at the end of the day exhausted, where all you could do was drop onto the couch or your favorite chair?
Every thing seems so pointless. You work harder and harder so that you can have more leisure time, and yet you never seem to have enough time to spend in leisurely activities. Or if you do have enough time, you rush through your leisure time trying to pack as much in as you can, thus coming home more tired than when you left. Doesn’t make much sense does it?
You spend years planning for retirement, then the one that you planned to spend that retirement time with dies.
You think you have done everything right into developing a loving, trusting relationship with your children, but we all know how few times that works out.
It is enough to get depressed over, for we know that even as much as we would like to control our lives and those around us we are doomed to fail in the end. It is pointless, at least it seems that way.
But there is hope, not as in this might take place type of hope, but the hope of knowing that it will take place. Take a look at the last half of verse 8. You probably didn’t even notice it, but hope is there. See it, “The Word of our God stands forever.”
“The Word of God stands forever.” What a comfort those words are, for you know that even though you really are like the grass that grows today and withers tomorrow, or maybe like this Hibiscus flower that blooms today and then dries up and falls off the plant, that God’s Word will never fade away, and you are comforted.
You know and are comforted by God’s words to you; for you know that your name has been written with his blood into the Book of Life
You may feel withered, crushed or faded at the end of the day, but God will refresh you through the remembrance of your baptism, for it was in your baptism that you were joined with Christ.
You might think that think your dreams, your plans, your families are coming to nothing, but remember that Christ has told you in Ephesians 3, 20 through 21 that he has plans for you that are far beyond your wildest dreams.
Take comfort my fellow missionaries, for what God promises he fulfills. There is nothing that can resist him. There is no obstacle that will stand in his way. There is comfort for the poor withered soul.
Listen with me once more to the words of comfort that God told Isaiah to tell his chosen people thousands of years ago. That I, as your pastor are to also share with you.
Listen once more to God, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, (that’s all of you all) and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” God is not talking about punishment here folks, but forgiveness and comfort. That is good news. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 3:08 PM
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