Isaiah 54-58
Original Post:  August 6, 2014

I really enjoy reading passages like Isaiah 55.  It reminds me of how generous, loving and forgiving the Lord really is.    We have read lately of his justice, and his anger with Israel.  In this passage His deep love for them shines through.   If we use the nation of Israel as a pattern for us all, then we understand God to love us just like He loves Israel.   He invites us to His table, and freely shares all His riches with us.   When I don't understand what God is doing (in my life, or in the church) I call to mind verse 9 of Chapter 55.    Who am I to understand what God is doing, and what He has planned?   If He tells me then I will know, but if He does not, then I have no hope of knowing...because no one can search out the thoughts of God.

Sure, it says "have the mind of Christ" in the New Testament, but it means "think in the way that Jesus thinks"  see as He sees,  feel as He feels.    It doesn't mean we know what He knows.

The thoughts of God are unsearchable.  Who can even imagine what God is considering?   And yet here in His Word, He reveals himself to us.   He shares His deepest thoughts and emotions.  We hear of His love, His frustration, His jealousy, and His anger...both toward His people, and those who will oppress them.

56:6  tells us that salvation isn't just for the Jews.   The foreigners (that's us!) will also be included if we bind ourselves to God.   I use the branch grafted into a tree as a metaphor for our inclusion in the body of Christ.   When the branch is grafted in, it's wrapped with binding.

Chapter 57 says that the righteous are taken to heaven to spare them the distress of what's to come.   That's interesting.   I might remember that sometime for a funeral service.   In the original context, it seems that God allowed the righteous to die before the invasion, and He considers it an act of mercy.   Too often we see death as the end, but God sees it as advancement, and a beginning.   I suspect that if we did have "the mind of Christ" we would view death differently.

Chapter 58 is the base motivation for many christian charities.  God says that it isn't enough to come to the temple and pray and listen to sermons, etc.   There must be some outward evidence of our faith.   If we simply say that we believe, and then treat each other harshly, cheat our neighbors and live lust-filled lives, we aren't really part of the kingdom of God.   We have religion, but not salvation.   True repentance will be expressed in christian charity (providing food for the hungry, clothing for those in need, helping others in a variety of ways, taking care of the downtrodden).    Again,  if we have the mind of Christ, we will express concern for  the well being of others....Jesus loves people, even the people who oppose Him, and even the people that rub you the wrong way.   God loves them all, even though they understand the meaning of community differently than you, they have different opinions on what a work week is, or what the best use of the their time is.    They may make decisions that you don't agree with, or even understand.   They may make decisions that leave them in poverty....love them anyway.    Jesus does.

PR