Isaiah 19:19-25
The Assyrians are fighting the Egyptians. The Egyptians are fighting the Israelites. The Israelites are fighting the Assyrians.
Nation against nation. Child soldiers. Power struggle. Holy war. God against god. Who's got the biggest, strongest, most powerful god? My god's stronger than your god! Weeping in the city. Labor and toil. No fruit for the labor. Growing crops, but the crops get taken away. Building houses, but the houses get taken away. Babies dying. Elderly insignificant.
Power. Struggle. Fighting. War. Who's got the biggest tanks, bombs, guns, military, god?
It's in this context that Isaiah enters the story with a message about a god who's not interested in grappling for power against other gods. A god who's not interested in making one country stronger than another. A god who doesn't care about other gods. A god who offers an alternative route - a highway - a connection, a freeway between nations that are constantly at war with one another.
This god doesn't feel threatened by taunts like my god is bigger!
This god is planning on providing a connecting highway. Reconciliation. Peace. Access.
Have you ever felt like there was an impossible roadblock between you and someone else. Was there resentment? Was there a history of fighting, of grappling for power, of unresolved conflict?
Then, after weeks, or months, or years of silent scorn and resentment, a freeway was finally opened up between the two of you? There was once again free access to each other? You could talk, go to Starbucks, share stories, and laugh together again at last?
The author of Isaiah wants the readers to know that war only lasts so long. The struggle for power only lasts so long. Trying to prove that one god is bigger than another god only lasts so long. There comes a time when a highway becomes paramount to all. The fighting becomes futile. The power struggle becomes meaningless.
There
is a God who sees the big picture. This God creates highways, access,
reconciliation, and peace between people and nations that have only
known each other through the scopes of missile launchers.
This God creates highways, removes roadblocks, provides free access.
The author is pointing a warring people forward to a point in time where God intersects with mankind in the city of Bethlehem, in the middle of tension, fighting, and war.
The author is pointing the people forward to a time in which God will be the highway, and the signs on this highway that will connect the people at odds will say things like "You're sins are forgiven. I am the way, the truth, and the life. Come to me all who are weary, and I will give you rest. Turn the other cheek and bless those who persecute you."
The author is pointing people forward with hope to a God who reconciles all people with himself. A God who loves people too much to keep distant. A God who is willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of humanity's salvation. A God who says there's a bigger picture than the fighting, scheming, shooting, and grappling you're seeing right now. This is all futile. I've come that you may know life to the point that death has no sting - that you may be on the highway that leads to life, one very different from the death-inviting highway you're on now.
Nation against nation. Child soldiers. Power struggle. Holy war. God against god. Who's got the biggest, strongest, most powerful god? My god's stronger than your god! Weeping in the city. Labor and toil. No fruit for the labor. Growing crops, but the crops get taken away. Building houses, but the houses get taken away. Babies dying. Elderly insignificant.
Power. Struggle. Fighting. War. Who's got the biggest tanks, bombs, guns, military, god?
It's in this context that Isaiah enters the story with a message about a god who's not interested in grappling for power against other gods. A god who's not interested in making one country stronger than another. A god who doesn't care about other gods. A god who offers an alternative route - a highway - a connection, a freeway between nations that are constantly at war with one another.
This god doesn't feel threatened by taunts like my god is bigger!
This god is planning on providing a connecting highway. Reconciliation. Peace. Access.
Have you ever felt like there was an impossible roadblock between you and someone else. Was there resentment? Was there a history of fighting, of grappling for power, of unresolved conflict?
Then, after weeks, or months, or years of silent scorn and resentment, a freeway was finally opened up between the two of you? There was once again free access to each other? You could talk, go to Starbucks, share stories, and laugh together again at last?
The author of Isaiah wants the readers to know that war only lasts so long. The struggle for power only lasts so long. Trying to prove that one god is bigger than another god only lasts so long. There comes a time when a highway becomes paramount to all. The fighting becomes futile. The power struggle becomes meaningless.
This God creates highways, removes roadblocks, provides free access.
The author is pointing a warring people forward to a point in time where God intersects with mankind in the city of Bethlehem, in the middle of tension, fighting, and war.
The author is pointing the people forward to a time in which God will be the highway, and the signs on this highway that will connect the people at odds will say things like "You're sins are forgiven. I am the way, the truth, and the life. Come to me all who are weary, and I will give you rest. Turn the other cheek and bless those who persecute you."
The author is pointing people forward with hope to a God who reconciles all people with himself. A God who loves people too much to keep distant. A God who is willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of humanity's salvation. A God who says there's a bigger picture than the fighting, scheming, shooting, and grappling you're seeing right now. This is all futile. I've come that you may know life to the point that death has no sting - that you may be on the highway that leads to life, one very different from the death-inviting highway you're on now.
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