Wednesday 10 December 2008

Background

This portion of Isaiah's prophecy gives voice to the nation ofIsrael's complaint about God. Up until now we have been left in thedark about Israel's state of mind. This passage offers a cleartransition from the speech of the heavenly council, made on behalfof God, to the trial proper, which begins in the next chapter. (Thespeech changes to the first person - "me" and "my" come into play.The effect is to revitalise the speech made on behalf of God, inpreparation for God's own address, beginning with the divinesummoning of the farthest nations to a trial in Isaiah 41:1.)

The message is that the heavenly host is fully under God's control.God is the one God, the Holy One, the Creator of heaven and earth.God calls them, having been the one who first gave them a name.This emphasis on God's total grasp of every single star in the sky- not one is missing - is meant to anticipate the concern thatsomehow God has forgotten the people of Israel. But God has notforgotten - so "Comfort, O comfort my people" (Isaiah 40:1)! Theone who calls each of the host of heaven by name and can tell ifjust one is missing has an understanding that isunsearchable.

The issue here is not God's grasp of the plight of the people, butIsrael's weariness and exhaustion.God does care for God's people. The OldTestament records the cry of the people, honest and anguished andbold. It records that God's people set their outrage and complaintagainst God as the one who is the source of both anguish, and ofhope. There can be no place of discouragement, for all has beenseen and lived and redeemed in Jesus the Son of God, to the gloryof the Father. This is where hope lies, eternally and surely.

To Ponder

What are the things in your life of faith thatexhaust you and make it hard to hear the voice of God?

What gives you hope and encouragement in yourlife of faith?