Isaiah 43:1-44:23
There are essentially 5 points the LORD is making here. Each one deserves our serious attention. Each one is like a land-mine under the dusty surface of 21st Century London. If properly understood they will blow apart so much that characterises the fabric of our society. If properly understood they will blow apart our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. First off God speaks about himself. He is the daddy. His glory is the ultimate reality for created matter. We were made to glory him, he is the omnipotent creator king, the holy rock who was and is and will be, unaffected by any and all events and personalities on his earth. Second, all other powers that claim glory or hope are pathetic jokers. Only thickos would give them credibility if they really saw what they are like. Third, although God is unaffected by his creation he chooses to wed himself to it. He describes himself in relational terms to his people and he has consistently acted to provide care and mercy to his earth. Fourthly, in spite of God’s manifest awesomeness and consistent loving mercy God’s people have rebelled against him, ignored him and refused to do what he has asked. Fifthly, although rejection and disgrace and scorn are what his people deserve, he will pour out his spirit on them, he will sweep away their offences and he will redeem them. Wow. Those are serious weighty truths. If we don’t feel their shock-blast we should probably hang around until we do. How amazing to be one of God’s people.
Galatians 3:26-4:20
This one’s for the ladies. Once again Paul lasers in on identity. The former-Jewish Galatians maybe just thought that they’d started believing something slightly different. The Jesus-story had rung true to them and had gripped them with its power but somehow hadn’t seeped through into all of their beings. It seems to have remained in the ‘religious’ sphere as a part of their lives and so they were strongly tempted to carry on living as they always had. They sound a lot like the majority of the church. Paul confronts their miniscule vision of Jesus. Jesus isn’t a ticket you carry to get into the venue, he is a cocoon that engulfs you and transforms you like a caterpillar into a butterfly. You were slaves with no status and no inheritance. You were following the whim of your master day after day until eventually you were going to die from it. But the Father has bought you. Now you are his son. You have the inheritance. You have the family name. You walk with the family swagger and you act with the families’ authority. You are a deeply loved son, the hope for the future of your family. And your family is the family of God. You are a deeply loved son, even if you are a lady. We all stand equal before the Father, all equally loved, equally empowered, equally equipped and with an equal inheritance. I suppose we could go back and live like a slave again if we want to - lots of Christians do. But that would be tragic. I suppose we could still look for ways to claim superiority (or inferiority) to other believers - again, lots of Christians do - but that would be ungrateful and heretical. So howabout, instead we spend our time living like we actually are and live out “Abba Father, you have made us your heir”.
Psalm 105:1-5
“His faithfulness stretches to the skies”. I wonder what type of experience would cause you to come up with that.
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