This Day

(6-6-04)

Isa.54:10-17

Isa 54:10  For even if the mountains walk away and the hills fall to pieces, My love won't walk away from you, my covenant commitment of peace won't fall apart." The GOD who has compassion on you says so. 11 "Afflicted city, storm-battered, unpitied: I'm about to rebuild you with stones of turquoise, Lay your foundations with sapphires, 12 construct your towers with rubies, Your gates with jewels, and all your walls with precious stones. 13 All your children will have GOD for their teacher-- what a mentor for your children! 14 You'll be built solid, grounded in righteousness, far from any trouble--nothing to fear! far from terror--it won't even come close! 15 If anyone attacks you, don't for a moment suppose that I sent them, And if any should attack, nothing will come of it. 16 I create the blacksmith who fires up his forge and makes a weapon designed to kill. I also create the destroyer-- 17 but no weapon that can hurt you has ever been forged. Any accuser who takes you to court will be dismissed as a liar. This is what GOD's servants can expect. I'll see to it that everything works out for the best." GOD's Decree. (MSG)

“…This is the inheritance of the servants of Jehovah, and their righteousness is from Me, says Jehovah.” (Isa.54:17b LIT)

“This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.” (NIV)

          I think it is fair to say that most of us would want to be recipients of God’s favor and grace and blessing. Would you say that is true of yourself? Heb.11:6 tells us that God rewards those who earnestly seek him. We all want to be blessed by the Lord but what is our side of the equation? In the Hebrew’s passage the catch phrase is “earnestly seek”. Those who want the blessing must seek with great desire.

          In our reading passage today from Isaiah we read of great blessing being bestowed upon people by God. Again, what is the catch phrase? This one is less apparent to the casual observation. “This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD” We don’t see anything significant here except to note that the ones receiving the blessing are “servants of the Lord” The word for servant in the LXX (Septuagint)  is an intriguing one. The word therapeutic or therapist is the English word that comes from this Greek origin.

          Three times this word is used in the old testament: Prov.19:6, 29:26, and Isa.54:17b. I am sore presses to come to a better way of explaining this word except with the concept of nurture. When a relationship is stressed for some reason a person would nurture the relationship in a way to heal and make strong and healthy. In Isaiah the same sense may also work. ‘This is the heritage of the ones who have been nurturing a healthy relationship towards me as their Lord.’   

          If we would expect to have life and see good days and experience the bountiful blessings from the Lord then by expectation of what is right and fair, we must do our part. The Hebrew writer says three times in chapter 3 and 4 – “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…” We need to be a people who today nurture our relationship to the Lord with anticipation and expectation.

          But how do we become nurturers of our relationship to Jesus as our Lord? By seizing the day for His glory and purpose. This is His day we now live in, it is right to do Him honor by accomplishing His desire for us. And how do we do that? By being His ambassadors of Good will to the world. Show His grace and kindness and compassion and love to a world held in darkness by the evil prince of darkness. Let the Light of the Glory of Christ shine in you.