December 13th
Read Is 29:15—30:14
Isa 29:15 Ah, you who hide deep from the LORD your counsel, whose deeds are in the dark, and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?” (16) You turn things upside down! Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, “He did not make me”; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, “He has no understanding”?…19 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel…22 Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: “Jacob shall no more be ashamed, no more shall his face grow pale. (23) For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will sanctify my name; they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
Yes, there is a reason people commit wickedness at night and there’s a reason you turn out the light when you’re doing stuff you’re not supposed to be doing. You, I and they don’t think God can see in the dark. We think God cannot see our dark misdeeds. But with God even darkness is light.
The world thinks God is upside down, unfair, unjust and simply out of date. It is not hard to see this accusation against not only God but his Church that has his Word. But the Word is an offense to them because it exposes their deeds as darkness and shows they have no understanding. If they understood, they would repent and turn to the Lord for forgiveness. As it is, they deny the Lord has made them and all creation. They shall find out they are wrong.
But there is good news for the meek and poor before the Lord. Jesus expounds upon this in the Gospels. While the world thinks it must take the world by force, the Lord promises it to those who are meek. Indeed they shall have “fresh joy in the Lord.” This is more than happiness which is fleeting but is an abiding sense that everything is going to be alright. Its root is trust in the promises of God fulfilled in Christ Jesus. Those who are poor, particularly poor in spirit shall “exult in the Holy One of Israel.” That Holy One is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in Christ Jesus the poor are made rich in righteousness. Jesus gives all he has to those who belong to him. We shall see that wealth on the Last Day.
Jacob was ashamed of his children as they turn away from the Lord, from the Fear of Isaac, and turned towards that which is not God, the God of Abraham. But on the last day, his shame shall be taken away. He shall see his children, all those who put their trust in Jesus of Nazareth, the Holy One of Jacob, the God of Israel, and he shall rejoice. The nations who have the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord shall be descendants, children, a blessing to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The hands of Christ Jesus have accomplished this. Do not lose heart in the midst of a world turned upside down those whose hope is the Holy One of Israel, Jesus Christ.
Lord Jesus Christ, in a world turned upside down by the sinfulness of man, turn our hearts right side up that we may meek and poor before you, humble ourselves before your glory that you may exalt us at the proper time and grant us encouragement that we may stand on the day of your advent. Amen.