June 17, 2019
For full passage click: Isaiah 65:1-9 …“I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that did not call on my name.” vs. 1
Long after the nobility of Judah had been hauled off into exile, the prophet recounts their complete rejection of the Lord. They had completely turned their backs on the God of their salvation. When prophets had come announcing the Lord’s presence no one had paid attention. The nation had prospered and no longer saw any need for a God-connection. They thought they could take care of themselves and spent their energies doing all the things that had been forbidden. Like foolish adolescents, they wandered off on their own and laughed at those who called them back to righteousness. They deserved annihilation! But that’s not what they got! Even though they had rejected God, God did not reject them and the prophet is amazed. Instead of destruction, Judah received a blessing and the nation was preserved. These stories of our faith ancestors that have been preserved for our inspiration can seem primitive to our modern ears. But they contain at their core a remarkable insight about the nature of God. We do not have a God who is vindictive or murderous, not at all! The one who brought the Universe into existence is connected to us with a bond of love that cannot be broken. Even when we and our children wander away from the faith, we continue to live within the boundaries of God’s prodigious light and life, and continue to be blessed!
Thought for the Day: Why do people continue to turn their backs on God?
0 Comments