OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 10-12
POETRY: Psalm 106
NEW TESTAMENT: Hebrews 4
A skill that I picked up from my teaching days was the complement sandwich. Whenever you needed to email a parent or correct a student, you nestled your criticism between two things that were good. It was a way of taking ‘a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.’ There have been studies that it takes 5 positive interactions to overcome 1 negative interaction. From marriage to parenting to work relationships, we have to fight to notice the good so that we don’t become too negative with our words.
Interestingly, as I read through the first few chapters of Isaiah, I noticed that God does the same thing with his prophecies. The people of Israel and Judah were told in no uncertain terms that they needed to repent and turn back to God, or they would face destruction. As we’ve read, this is a pretty bleak picture.
Isaiah 10:16-18 says, “The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers. The splendor of his forests and fertile fields, it will completely destroyed, as when a sick person wastes away. And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down.”
When we read this, it’s easy to think of God just as the vengeful and wrathful God that sometimes culture depicts him as. And, it’s true that God is a just God; this destruction happened in the past and will happen again in the last days.
But, to just describe God in this way misses the full picture of who he is. With all of our readings this week, we haven’t been left with destruction. In the midst of these prophecies, there is always hope. God may not give his criticisms in a compliment sandwich, but he does serve up a solid dish of hope.
Right after God describes the destruction coming in Isaiah 10:18, he then describes how a remnant will be left that will be led by the shoot from the stump of Jesse (Is. 11). We then have this beautiful picture of what the coming kingdom looks like.
Some of the descriptions of the kingdom that we get:
- A king who is righteous, faithful, and good
- Characterized by peace and nonviolence, not just between the nations but also between predator and prey
- An Earth that is full of the knowledge of the Lord
- Nations that have left between jealousy and strife and are full of brotherly love towards each other
As we read through Isaiah, we should feel convicted to look deeply at our lives and be sure that we are living them righteously. But, we should also be reminded of the ever-lasting faithfulness and love of our Father. Yes, God is a holy, just God, but he also is a loving God who has good things in store for us.
With each picture of hope, we are moved to praise just like Isaiah. We say along with him, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Is. 12:2-3).
-Cayce Fletcher
Cayce Fletcher is a teacher-turned-SAHM mom of two. She blogs and podcasts at A More Beautiful Life Collective where she focuses on how you can create a life you love and cultivate your heart for God. Currently, she is working through a systematic theology series on her podcast. You can find her latest post on Bibliology here.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- A common theme throughout Isaiah is the tendency of the people to oppress the poor, widow, and fatherless. James 1:27 says that pure religion is to take care of these people. Describe God’s heart for those who are oppressed. How are you serving them in your life?
- Do you view God as a wrathful judge or a loving Father (or a little of both)? How do you think the world views God? What is the correct view of God?
- How do the prophecies of the kingdom that we read in Isaiah move you to praise?
Seek Grow Love 