2 November 2013 Worship matters Prepare Think of worship as intimacy with God. For some (not just men!) this can be difficult. In such a place, we cannot cover up our true feelings with fancy ceremonies, distracting talk or smart clothes. Bible passage: Isaiah 66:1-16Isaiah 66 Judgment and Hope 1 This is what the LORD says: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be? 2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being? declares the LORD. This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. 3 But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a man, and whoever offers a lamb, like one who breaks a dogs neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pigs blood, and whoever burns memorial incense, like one who worships an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and their souls delight in their abominations; 4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them and will bring upon them what they dread. For when I called, no one answered, when I spoke, no one listened. They did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me. 5 Hear the word of the LORD, you who tremble at his word: Your brothers who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy! Yet they will be put to shame. 6 Hear that uproar from the city, hear that noise from the temple! It is the sound of the LORD repaying his enemies all they deserve. 7 Before she goes into labor, she gives birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. 8 Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children. 9 Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery? says the LORD. Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery? says your God. 10 Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. 11 For you will nurse and be satisfied at her comforting breasts; you will drink deeply and delight in her overflowing abundance. 12 For this is what the LORD says: I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. 13 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem. 14 When you see this, your heart will rejoice and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes. 15 See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD. Explore the Bible Intimacy with God Are you surprised to read verse 3? After all, didn’t God originally put these ceremonies in place to help his people worship him properly? Why do you think the prophet uses such extreme language about their misuse? God hates it when people aren’t what they seem – and especially so when they say they love him, but don’t in their hearts. If that’s the case, how might we begin to put it right? Verse 2b gives us the starting point to a relationship of intimacy with God – and it doesn’t have much to do with ceremonial religion. A birth is coming The book finishes with the birth of a baby – but it’s an unusually sudden birth with no labour (v 7)! How might this have been read (or heard) by the exiles in Babylon? Perhaps they would have thought of their time of exile as like a lengthy pregnancy. A birth is certainly coming (v 9) and it will be a time for great rejoicing. The intimacy of a nursing mother with her child is a great picture of the uncomplicated, satisfied, loving, committed, comforting relationship God wants to have with us (v 13). Respond God loves our humility and our contrition as we receive his Word (v 2). Perhaps such loving acceptance might cause us to tremble? Deeper Bible study The prophetic call to a different way of seeing is not escapist wishful thinking. To look up and around (60:4) so that we start to see what God sees gives us the energy and longing to live by that alternative vision. ‘Visions take a turn quite opposed to encouraging courageous engagement if they become invitations to escape from involvement with the realities of life.’1 We might have expected these prophecies to close with chapter 65’s heart-lifting, joyous panorama of a healed and just society, with death and evil destroyed. Why return to the darker themes and warnings of earlier chapters? Maybe because God knows our capacity for indifference to his word (v 4), for going on in proud autonomy, insisting on doing things our way (vs 3b,4b) while we glibly mouth our superficial praise and sideline the authentic worshippers (v 5). These failures seem to have been widespread among the people to whom these prophecies were first directed, and they add up to a central theme woven through the book of Isaiah – the nature of true worship (see, for example, 1:11–13). Yes, the returnees in Jerusalem had started to rebuild the Temple (v 1) and Temple services had begun again (v 3), but because people weren’t seeing with God’s eyes they were missing what God always seeks in his worshippers, ‘the humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at my word’ (v 2). ‘When the church becomes essentially a purveyor of religious goods and services, it reinforces the believers own consumerist habits … Perhaps unintentionally, this approach treats personal liberty and the inalienable right to choose as the highest goods of life.’2 Daniel Williams’ sharp critique of much contemporary church culture reminds us how urgent it is for us to be alert to Isaiah’s alternative vision.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 11:26:52 +0000
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