Friday 27 January 2012

Background

The oracle - a prophetic poem - which these verses express picksup key themes of Isaiah 40-55:

• The meaning of Israel's Exile (verses 1-3). The Israelitesare not in exile because God has cast them off or because God isnot powerful enough to save. Rather it is in order to learn fromtheir failure and sins that they find themselves in thisposition.
• The servant of God is active in God's new purpose(verses 4-9).Though we are never sure who this servant is, nevertheless it isclear that the prophet points to God's servant as an agent ofredemption and renewal. Here the teaching of the servant is likethat of a good teacher who is able to awaken and sustain. But thereis more. The servant is acquainted with suffering and disgrace andyet is convinced that this too can be used in God's plan.
• The people are called to trust in God. Those who trust canwalk into darkness without fear, but those who make their light askindlers of fire (ie trust in their own strength and autonomy) willfind that this kind of artificial light does not help but may evendestroy them.

There appears to be a link between recognising God at workin the past and the present, and learning to trust God for thefuture. 

Today is  Holocaust Memorial Day. The themes ofsuffering, meaning and trust are poignant subjects when we rememberwhat happened to so many of the Jewish people in the Second WorldWar. We need to be wary of making simple connections between thispassage and the day, however. Perhaps we should remember that thewriter of Isaiah 50 was an exile and could speak authentically frominside the experience. 

To Ponder

To what extent is it more difficult for you tosee God in the past or the present?

Have you ever changed your understanding of themeaning of something in your experience? How and what prompted thechange of view?

What are the hardest things for you to trust Godover?