2nd Sunday in Advent 12/07/08 Text Isaiah 40:1-11
Second Sunday in Advent
12/07/08
Text: Isaiah 40:1-11
At the beginning of the service we lit the candle of peace. We spend our entire lives searching for peace. We would give up everything we had if we could be assured that in doing so we would have peace. Peace is allusive. Just as you think that peace is going to happen, boom, it is gone, disappearing like the morning fog.
Peace is something we all strive for, but seldom, if ever achieve, for we are sinners living in a sinful world, that has been corrupted by sin. Sin, is an interesting word,a word that most do not like to hear. It means to “miss the mark,” as in not meeting God’s demands. To call something a sin today is being mean spirited, for sin is not sin any more. Sin has become just another human weakness, or the way a person was born, or really nothing at all, for when it is convenient I will repent and God will forgive. Each of these has taken away the sin of sin. Sin separates one from God and purposeful unrepentant sin hardens the heart, for there is nowhere in the Bible that God tells his followers to keep on sinning.
Do we as Christians sin? Of course we do. Do we suffer for our sin? Of course we do. Does God leave us? No, he does not, for when we have been disciplined he comes back to us with overflowing comfort. God’s deepest intention toward us is comfort, thus giving us peace. How could it be otherwise? If it were not so our future would be bleak indeed.
See in God not a frown but a smile, not distance but nearness. Even when we don’t act like the people of God, he still identifies with us as he calls us “my people … your God.” He stills calls us “Jerusalem,” even when we’re far away in exile.
Today’s Old Testament reading describes that kind of love. In just 11 short verses we see the entire Gospel story unfold. Verses 1 and 2 speak of comfort to a people that had turned their back on God and will be punished. Verses 3 through 5 speak of restoration after they have been punished. Verses 6 through 8 tell us that there is nothing man can do to stop God’s promise of restoration and peace. Verses 9 through 11 tell us the good news of God’s divine might coupled with his divine compassion as he restores his people.
Let’s take a closer look at the text and see what God is saying to us today in these ancient words. He starts off with “Comfort, comfort my people.” Boy, do we need comfort in these hard times. Notice he says “my people” that is us. We are comforted because we are God’s people. He chose you when you were given faith.
In verse 2 we hear more words of comfort, “Speak tenderly,” (that is in the Hebrew, “words of encouragement to her heart.” God’s people have suffered enough. It is time for restoration. Their sin has been forgiven, for the people have gotten what they have brought on themselves. In other words, sin costs. It not only costs us, or at the very least damages our relationship with God, but there is also a physical, emotional, or monetary price to pay. Sin costs us.
In verse 3 there is the quote that we hear in our Gospel reading referring to John the Baptist, the one who said he was less than Jesus, who was only making the way for Jesus’ ministry. “Prepare the way of the Lord” for God is coming from Sinai where the ancient people believed God resided. He is coming and the way needs to be prepared.
We read of a lot of dirt moving and filling in, but this preparation is not the moving of physical dirt. It is the moving of spiritual dirt, that is sin in the people of God’s lives. The way of the Lord comes to us by the way of repentance. He is coming and he is coming straight to us. And in our repentance we are leveling high spots, filling in the valleys, smoothing out the bumps. He is coming to us, just as he came to the people of Isaiah’s day when he brought them home to the Promised Land.
In verse 5 we see that after the preparation has been made that the “glory of God shall be revealed, and all flesh”, that is, all people, believers and non-believers alike, will know he is the Lord, for the Lord has spoken. Just as God delivered his people, remember that this promise is taking place even before their exile. It will be 70 years before God causes King Cyrus to release them, God will release us from our bondage.
Verses 6 through 8 shifts from what God is doing, to what humanity cannot do because all we do will end. It is meaningless. It does not make any difference how much money or power one has, all will dry up and wither away. In verse 7 where Isaiah is referring to God’s breath drying up the grass and flowers he is describing something they were familiar with. Every so often an easterly wind would come up, something like the Santa Anna winds in California that cause so much trouble, and within 48 hours turn the green grass brown.
The grass will wither; the flowers will fade, but as as we read in the last of verse 8, nothing stop the Word of God. God’s Word does not depend on our ability. It stands on its own and will do what it needs to do.
Moving on to verse 9 we read where God through Isaiah is telling the people that because of what God is going to do they need to shout out the good news of salvation. We too are to do that. We are to praise God, for it is Good News to us also. God saves. We do not. Thank you Lord that I have nothing to do with my salvation except to believe. God’s act on our behalf is wonderful isn’t it?
C. S. Lewis the great English Christian writer once wrote, “The world rings with praise—lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game—praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians and scholars.… Just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: “Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?” … I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation[1]
He does bring up an interesting point, something to think about concerning our relationship with God. Don’t we talk about and praise what we value? Don’t we invite others to come and enjoy what we enjoy? Don’t we spend money and invest in what we value? Of course we do, don’t we?
Do we value what God has, is doing, and will do in our lives? Our actions or lack of actions show the value we place on our relationship with God. We all need to look at our faith, at what we truly believe, for God is coming to judge just as surely as he born and laid in a manager some 2000 years ago.
He is coming in power, might, and divine passion. His mighty arm that can so forcibly destroy, will, as we read in verse 11 tenderly hold his people to his bosom. He will comfort us as he leads us home. We are not home yet. And we won't be truly home until that final "advent" when Christ comes again. But, because of this text, because we know that God’s promises are sure we even in the tough times of the economy, health, or relationships we have hope, the sure hope that he is coming in all his glory to gather those who trust in him to his new heaven and earth. We know from this text and many others like it that the word of God can be trusted; that this word from the Lord is the ultimate word and will stand forever.
In the meantime, while we live in the in-between, that time between his First Advent, his birth, and the Last Advent, that time when he will judge in righteousness, Jesus, the good shepherd, is smoothing the way of his advent with the waters of baptism and the good news of his forgiveness. In this in-between time he "feeds" his flock with his own body and blood. He carries our burdens in his bosom and leads us on the path that we must follow. And so, the cry of the Christian is not "Boy, am I miserable," but rather "Maranatha!" That is “Our Lord Comes”. Peace on earth. Come, Lord Jesus. Come. Amen.
[1]Ortlund, R. C., Jr, & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Isaiah : God saves sinners. Preaching the Word (239). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.
12/07/08
Text: Isaiah 40:1-11
At the beginning of the service we lit the candle of peace. We spend our entire lives searching for peace. We would give up everything we had if we could be assured that in doing so we would have peace. Peace is allusive. Just as you think that peace is going to happen, boom, it is gone, disappearing like the morning fog.
Peace is something we all strive for, but seldom, if ever achieve, for we are sinners living in a sinful world, that has been corrupted by sin. Sin, is an interesting word,a word that most do not like to hear. It means to “miss the mark,” as in not meeting God’s demands. To call something a sin today is being mean spirited, for sin is not sin any more. Sin has become just another human weakness, or the way a person was born, or really nothing at all, for when it is convenient I will repent and God will forgive. Each of these has taken away the sin of sin. Sin separates one from God and purposeful unrepentant sin hardens the heart, for there is nowhere in the Bible that God tells his followers to keep on sinning.
Do we as Christians sin? Of course we do. Do we suffer for our sin? Of course we do. Does God leave us? No, he does not, for when we have been disciplined he comes back to us with overflowing comfort. God’s deepest intention toward us is comfort, thus giving us peace. How could it be otherwise? If it were not so our future would be bleak indeed.
See in God not a frown but a smile, not distance but nearness. Even when we don’t act like the people of God, he still identifies with us as he calls us “my people … your God.” He stills calls us “Jerusalem,” even when we’re far away in exile.
Today’s Old Testament reading describes that kind of love. In just 11 short verses we see the entire Gospel story unfold. Verses 1 and 2 speak of comfort to a people that had turned their back on God and will be punished. Verses 3 through 5 speak of restoration after they have been punished. Verses 6 through 8 tell us that there is nothing man can do to stop God’s promise of restoration and peace. Verses 9 through 11 tell us the good news of God’s divine might coupled with his divine compassion as he restores his people.
Let’s take a closer look at the text and see what God is saying to us today in these ancient words. He starts off with “Comfort, comfort my people.” Boy, do we need comfort in these hard times. Notice he says “my people” that is us. We are comforted because we are God’s people. He chose you when you were given faith.
In verse 2 we hear more words of comfort, “Speak tenderly,” (that is in the Hebrew, “words of encouragement to her heart.” God’s people have suffered enough. It is time for restoration. Their sin has been forgiven, for the people have gotten what they have brought on themselves. In other words, sin costs. It not only costs us, or at the very least damages our relationship with God, but there is also a physical, emotional, or monetary price to pay. Sin costs us.
In verse 3 there is the quote that we hear in our Gospel reading referring to John the Baptist, the one who said he was less than Jesus, who was only making the way for Jesus’ ministry. “Prepare the way of the Lord” for God is coming from Sinai where the ancient people believed God resided. He is coming and the way needs to be prepared.
We read of a lot of dirt moving and filling in, but this preparation is not the moving of physical dirt. It is the moving of spiritual dirt, that is sin in the people of God’s lives. The way of the Lord comes to us by the way of repentance. He is coming and he is coming straight to us. And in our repentance we are leveling high spots, filling in the valleys, smoothing out the bumps. He is coming to us, just as he came to the people of Isaiah’s day when he brought them home to the Promised Land.
In verse 5 we see that after the preparation has been made that the “glory of God shall be revealed, and all flesh”, that is, all people, believers and non-believers alike, will know he is the Lord, for the Lord has spoken. Just as God delivered his people, remember that this promise is taking place even before their exile. It will be 70 years before God causes King Cyrus to release them, God will release us from our bondage.
Verses 6 through 8 shifts from what God is doing, to what humanity cannot do because all we do will end. It is meaningless. It does not make any difference how much money or power one has, all will dry up and wither away. In verse 7 where Isaiah is referring to God’s breath drying up the grass and flowers he is describing something they were familiar with. Every so often an easterly wind would come up, something like the Santa Anna winds in California that cause so much trouble, and within 48 hours turn the green grass brown.
The grass will wither; the flowers will fade, but as as we read in the last of verse 8, nothing stop the Word of God. God’s Word does not depend on our ability. It stands on its own and will do what it needs to do.
Moving on to verse 9 we read where God through Isaiah is telling the people that because of what God is going to do they need to shout out the good news of salvation. We too are to do that. We are to praise God, for it is Good News to us also. God saves. We do not. Thank you Lord that I have nothing to do with my salvation except to believe. God’s act on our behalf is wonderful isn’t it?
C. S. Lewis the great English Christian writer once wrote, “The world rings with praise—lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game—praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians and scholars.… Just as men spontaneously praise whatever they value, so they spontaneously urge us to join them in praising it: “Isn’t she lovely? Wasn’t it glorious? Don’t you think that magnificent?” … I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation[1]
He does bring up an interesting point, something to think about concerning our relationship with God. Don’t we talk about and praise what we value? Don’t we invite others to come and enjoy what we enjoy? Don’t we spend money and invest in what we value? Of course we do, don’t we?
Do we value what God has, is doing, and will do in our lives? Our actions or lack of actions show the value we place on our relationship with God. We all need to look at our faith, at what we truly believe, for God is coming to judge just as surely as he born and laid in a manager some 2000 years ago.
He is coming in power, might, and divine passion. His mighty arm that can so forcibly destroy, will, as we read in verse 11 tenderly hold his people to his bosom. He will comfort us as he leads us home. We are not home yet. And we won't be truly home until that final "advent" when Christ comes again. But, because of this text, because we know that God’s promises are sure we even in the tough times of the economy, health, or relationships we have hope, the sure hope that he is coming in all his glory to gather those who trust in him to his new heaven and earth. We know from this text and many others like it that the word of God can be trusted; that this word from the Lord is the ultimate word and will stand forever.
In the meantime, while we live in the in-between, that time between his First Advent, his birth, and the Last Advent, that time when he will judge in righteousness, Jesus, the good shepherd, is smoothing the way of his advent with the waters of baptism and the good news of his forgiveness. In this in-between time he "feeds" his flock with his own body and blood. He carries our burdens in his bosom and leads us on the path that we must follow. And so, the cry of the Christian is not "Boy, am I miserable," but rather "Maranatha!" That is “Our Lord Comes”. Peace on earth. Come, Lord Jesus. Come. Amen.
[1]Ortlund, R. C., Jr, & Hughes, R. K. (2005). Isaiah : God saves sinners. Preaching the Word (239). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 2:11 PM
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