Friday 12 December 2008
- Bible Book:
- Isaiah
"O that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your prosperity would have been like a river, and your success like the waves of the sea." (v.18)
Background
This passage is unusual in that the 'voice', which has beenintroduced in verse 16, expresses a wish. The past is recalled buta new thing is announced. Here, the tone is not one of rebuke, butthe longing expression from God that it need not have gone as itdid (ie the Israelites would not have gone through such hardships),if only Israel had attended to God's command. The law of God shouldhave been enough of a guide for God's own people.
The message is rooted in Israel's past. The experiences of the pasthave served to rejuvenate Israel, in reminding them of old promisesnow coming to fruition; exposing the fraudulence of the claims ofother nations and false gods and idols, silent before a testimonyonly one people can bring. On the verge of God's announcement ofnew things, Israel must be reminded that they are prone to losingtheir way.
So much of what we struggle with in our lives seems to be thedirect result of losing our way and disregarding the way thingsshould be. The current, potential ecological disaster is the resultof carelessness in using the resources of the world both now and informer times. The present worldwide economic crisis can be partlyattributed to imprudent actions by particular individuals andorganisations in recent years. In our personal lives we often failto look ahead to see the consequences of our actions, and then inthe moment of crisis, wish we had taken a different pathway.
To Ponder
Reflect upon the issues in the news at themoment. How many of the stories could have been different if peoplehad acted in a different way earlier on?
How can the Church address these issues withoutbeing accused of becoming judgmental?
Where, and what, are the messages of good newsand hope today?