Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Isaiah 52:1-12
This is a beautiful piece from the book of the prophet Isaiah. It is hard to imagine how such majestic writing could come out of the dismay of the Israelites’ exile in Babylon. In difficult times a reaction of despair or unbridled rage is normal and understandable. But how much more effective and timeless is a response that includes hope and beauty. Think about the enduring legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., who outshines the figures of his day who advocated violence.
As a church, we can learn something from this. In trying times what if we were articulate and imaginative, rather than just stressed out and, oftentimes, angry and scared? In contrasting the exodus from Egypt to the return from Babylon, the text emphasizes how the flight out of Egypt was made in panic, while the return home in the prophet’s day will be more deliberate. The success of the return was not dependent solely on human ingenuity, but on the will and works of a faithful God. “[F]or the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard” (52:12)
- Matthew Kieswetter
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