Devotion 7.29.26

Isaiah 55

The Compassion of the Lord

1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,

  come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

  come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

  without money and without price.

2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

  and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

  and delight yourselves in rich food.

3 Incline your ear, and come to me;

  hear, that your soul may live;

and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

  my steadfast, sure love for David.

4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,

  a leader and commander for the peoples.

5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,

  and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,

because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,

  for he has glorified you."

God's "Suffering Servant" has life to offer, for us to listen and hear, share, and tell others about as his people.

I saw a meme yesterday that really hit me and got me thinking. It simply asked this: "Boomers, you wake up tomorrow and it's 1972. What's the first thing you do?" My checklist grew exponentially rapidly. 

1972 was an interesting year in the life of our nation. It may have been the last year of complete and total innocence in some ways. 1963 and 1968 robbed us of some of that with assassinations. President Johnson abruptly dropping out of the race in 1968 took away more (Vietnam was declared unwinnable around that time - Walter Conkrite no less - so our media was turning on the office of the presidency openly). Our president was re-elected in a landslide in 1972, so Watergate hadn't reached our vocabulary yet. Vietnam was still being fought, but President Nixon and Kissinger were assuring the nation they had a plan to end it. Oil was still relatively cheap (as were all goods and services) since it was pre-Arab embargo of 1973. Most of what we made as a nation was still made here. The steel mills on the port would be active as would the automakers and factories throughout the US. 1972 saw an introduction to terrorism via the Olympics that summer as the PLO raided the Israeli village and held the team hostage in Germany (of all places). It all played out in real time, but Mark Spitz made the news with his medal performance for the US in swimming. 1973 also gave us Roe v Wade, one of the most controversial decisions from the Supreme Court since Dred Scott or Plessy v Ferguson.

The main question I have in this scenario is what can I foresee coming based on what I remember with my age as I return to 1972? What could or would I tell my parents, friends, or others in my community that would perhaps help them ahead of time? Who would listen to a 12-year-old kid (66 in a 12-yea-old body)?

The book of Isaiah is just such a prophetic book in the bible. Isaiah is given a prophecy of the coming Christ that makes it sound like he was there to witness, meet, then follow Jesus, and was then transported back. He portrays three views of the messiah. One is referred to as "The Suffering Servant." Today, the Servant (Jesus) is speaking to Israel about its posture as it comes back to God, and he speaks to them in language they will hear again from Christ ("I can quench thirst eternally" - living water from John 4; daily bread; "he who has ears, let him hear" - Matthew 11). 

The Servant tells Israel, and us, to listen to what he says. He speaks to our posture in that we are to "incline our ears to him not just for bodily nourishment, but for eternal life - "our soul to live."

This prophecy is alive in God's Word for Israel and for us. The Suffering Servant was, is, and will be forevermore. We are that new nation, followers of Christ. Praise God for the covenant he made to redeem us through his steadfast love in the form of Christ!

Pray with me: Gracious God, Eternal Father - I pray that you will guide me to hear your Word made alive in the form of Christ and given to me in the pages of books like Isaiah. I give thanks to you for your Word and the eternal nourishment it provides - my daily bread. In Christ's name, Amen

Hope Men's Ministry is a ministry in service to Hope Lutheran Church and School. Our purpose is to grow, unite, and share God's Word to all men through meaningful activities. These activities center on fellowship, service, conversation, prayer, study and devotion as we seek to become men of God as He created us to be.