Thoughts for the Day

* Ancient fortress, Israel

How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The writer of '2nd Isaiah' (who most likely wrote Chapters 40-55 of the Book of Isaiah) and who lived in the 6th century BCE seeks to give his people hope that God is in charge of their future, and of all nations. He wants to wake them up to see the hope for the future! After the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BCE those not killed were mostly taken captive to Babylon. However, the prophet declares that Babylon itself will fall, and the Israelite exiles will be free to return. With the arrival of Cyrus in 539 BCE and the death of the last Babylonian king this was to occur, for Cyrus issued an edict to allow the exiles to return and rebuild the Temple.

These same words were also inspire those waiting for the coming of the Messiah some 500 years later at the time of Jesus, and equally inspire us some 2,000 years later. Isaiah uses the poetic picture of watchmen on duty on the walls of a city. They are waiting for news, will it be good or bad? At the first sight of the messenger they can tell by his body language that it's good news - he comes to proclaim peace.

Isaiah tells us, that life can come out of death. His words are like a call to the dead - we are to stand up, to wake up from sleep, and to come back to life. For Christians a totally new beginning is possible if we are united with Christ. This Advent the message is for each of us, for our families, our churches and our nations: wake up, put your spiritual life in order, for our God comes, and it is He who reigns!

Heavenly Father,
wake us up from our lethargy this Advent.
Stir us up to get rid of old habits,
and to look at putting You first and not last
in our order of priorities.
Let Isaiah's words be a clarion call
to those who hear them,
so that all might be ready
to welcome again the birth
of our Saviour,
and to wait in faith
for His second coming.
Amen.