Matthew 2:1-18: New World Order

Presented to The Salvation Army Christmas Day Dinner 2017 at the Carlton Street location. Based on an earlier sermon, What's Your Choice, presented first to the Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 26 December 2010 by Michael Ramsay 

History tells us about Herod. Herod is a regional king. He works for the Romans and he is known as ‘Herod the Great’. Herod is a great political leader and as such is involved in all the political intrigue of his era in all the ways that political intrigue is carried out in his time (cf. Josephus, Bellum ii.10–13; cf. also Josephus, Antiquities xvii. 224, 229, 250, 304, 307, 340). He is a king but his job is no more secure than that of a contemporary politician and Herod defends his title and his job no less vigorously: in order to secure his position, Herod needs to back the right horse and defeat all his rivals (cf. Josephus, Antiquities i.358). He – like many contemporary politicians – switches his allegiances more than once as to whom he backs for Emperor – first he backs Mark Anthony’s coalition government and later crosses the floor to support Caesar Augustus. Herod is a king who leaves behind a good legacy of building and growth but he is an adept politician, cruel and insecure. The title awarded to him by Caesar Augustus is Herod, King of the Jews.

Imagine what it must have been like for him. Imagine you are King of the Jews and these privileged academics come to you from a foreign country and they ask, “Where is your replacement?” Matthew 2:2, they ask “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Imagine, you have this job that you have fought hard for all your life and your job title is ‘King of the Jews’ and these strangers come up to you and ask to meet your replacement, the new King of the Jews. How would you react?

I was a dishwasher once for about a week as a teenager; the job didn’t go well and I didn’t get along with my co-worker and one day I met a friend for coffee; he was excited as he told me that he had just been hired for a job at this SAME restaurant. When we talk for a while it becomes apparent that they have hired him for MY job. That is how I found out that I was going to be fired. This could be what it is like for Herod when he hears this news that a there is going to be a new king of the Jews. This news is a shock to him. This news is a threat to him. Current kings can be killed when new kings take over. Herod is the king. Who is this new King of the Jews? If you were Herod, what would you do? Herod is determined to eliminate his would-be-rival so Herod sends in the troops. The military massacres male babies two years and younger in order to wipe out any possible rival who may have been recently born. This is Herod’s reaction to the birth of Jesus. He tries to remove him.

In our story today we also have the Magi. Our word ‘magic’ comes from the same root as ‘magi’. They are learned people who see this ‘star’. They come from the east (cf. Philippians 2:10-11). Remember that travel isn’t easy in that day and age: they can’t just hop a flight or drive the Trans-Palestine superhighway to Jerusalem. These wise men realize from their studies of the world around them that the King of the Jews has been born (cf. Numbers 24:17, Daniel 9:25, John 4:25, Romans 1). What do they do when they discover this? Remember that they probably aren’t Jews and they don’t live in the area. What do these foreign academics do when they find out a king of the Jews has been born? They put their whole lives on hold and come to find him in order to worship him (Matthew 2:2; cf. TSA d. 2,4).

Matthew provides us with these two contrasting example to the both of the king because people in the first century had a choice to make as to whether they were going to serve their contemporary systems of government or whether they were going to serve the NEW KING. 

We have to face the same choice today. The king has already been born. That is what Christmas is all about. This King has, is and will change the whole world. Jesus proclaims a new world order. Jesus is an end to capitalism, democracy, consumerism, imperialism, and whatever other ‘ism’ people are tempted to serve. The systems that raised up Herod and the Magi; Trump and Trudeau, Harper and Obama will come to an end. This world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer is coming to an end. This world where man makes war against man will end. Like White Lion proclaims, ‘no more presidents and all the wars will end, Then we will have one united kingdom under God.’ This is what the Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke are about. With Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection, Sin has been defeated. Jesus birth in a game changer; the game has now been won; and when he returns (any day now) it will be over. Whenever each of us realizes this, we need to make a decision – do we acknowledge Jesus as our leader and worship him like the Magi or do we rebel against him, trying to root him out of our life and our world like Herod. It is my hope that on this Christmas Day 2000+ years closer to the return of Christ than on the day of his birth, that we will each choose to live forever in this New Kingdom with this new King, whose birth in a manger we remember today.

Let us Pray

  

www.sheepspeak.com 

Devotion 3.14/117: Matthew 1:24: Joseph’s Choice

Presented to the River Street Cafe, 22 December 2017

Read Matthew 1:18-25

In our text today we have Joseph:  Joseph is a carpenter/stone mason. He is from the Roman occupied territory of Judea and Joseph is righteous.

Matthew tells us also that Joseph is pledged to be married to a girl named Mary. Now, betrothal in the first century is not like it is today. When you are engaged then you are already bound. But even so before Mary and Joseph ever ‘know each other’ in the Biblical sense, before they ever come together in THAT way, Mary becomes pregnant.

Imagine this scenario with me, if you will – men in particular: you are engaged, you have not had relations with your fiancée and all of a sudden you find out that she is pregnant. What would you do? What would you say? What would you feel? What would you think? What would you think and what would you do if your girlfriend to whom you are engaged becomes pregnant – and not by you? Would you still get married? Joseph, when he finds out that Mary is pregnant, is planning to call off the wedding altogether. Verse 19 says that he wants to do this quietly so as to not bring any disgrace upon Mary.

Then something happens. Joseph has a dream. He dreams about an angel and in the dream this angel tells Joseph that he should ‘take Mary home as his wife’, Verse 20, ‘because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’. He then dreams of the child saving people, even from their sins. Joseph thus has a number of decisions to make.

1. Does he believe in visions and angels in general and does he believe this vision of this angel in particular?
2. And how will he respond to this belief? Will he ignore his conviction that this vision is from God and press on with the separation/divorce anyway or will he accept the commission given to him from God through a messenger in a dream?

What would you do? Do you believe in your dreams? When Joseph awakes from his sleep, Verse 24, he does everything the angel from the Lord told him. Joseph is a righteous man.

www.sheepspeak.com 

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11: Good News

Presented to 614 Warehouse Mission in Toronto a.m. service

on the third Sunday of Advent, 17 December 2017

by Captain Michael Ramsay

Our Isaiah reading in the lectionary today is one very familiar to us all: Isaiah 61:1-4 & 8-11

61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;

As Christians who are waiting to celebrate Christ’s arrival as a baby in a manger 2000+ years ago and as people waiting to experience Jesus’ return any day now; he has called each of us, as God anointed Isaiah, to share the Gospel of Salvation with the oppressed. Do you know what this means?

This means that to any of us who are having difficult times we are to share the Good News that when Jesus comes back, any day now, all the bad stuff will end, everything will be okay AND this means that since he came in a manger 2000+ years ago we can help each other through the difficult times because Jesus is with us to do just that.

We can comfort one another when our hearts are heavy; we can comfort each other when we are trapped; we can share the good news of release from prison bars, from addiction, from abuse – we can share the good news of release from it all when Christ returns at the eschaton and we can share the good news that Jesus will walk with us until then.

61:2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

Jesus will comfort us now in our mourning and we are to comfort each other now as life is sometimes very difficult. Some of this comfort is honestly in the fact that Jesus is coming back and then everything will be okay. This verse speaks of the day of vengeance for our Lord. The days of economic systems that see one person fly to the moon as a tourist, another own houses around the world, while people are starving to death, will end with a vengeance. Political systems that see people ruling based on popularity contests and encouraging us to the sin of the book of Judges where we each do what is right in our own eyes will end with a vengeance. Political systems that see us spend billions and trillions of dollars on killing people when just a fraction of those resources can clothe and shelter everyone in the whole world, will end with a vengeance.Justice systems that see people of certain races or income levels incarcerated in place of the rich and the privileged who walk free, will end with a vengeance. All the corruption and injustice inherent to the socio-political-economic systems in our nation and our world will come to an end.

61:3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.

Stay strong my friends. Our troubles here and now will be replaced with garlands and gladness in the future as we continue to serve to Lord and experience his righteousness

61:4 They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

We have applied this verse to our neighbourhood. This neighbourhood is actually a real life object lesson for us. Just as the old buildings here have come down (some of which we love because of the memories they hold) so the ruins of our societies that are now walking away from God shall be torn down and built anew as the whole world will be rebuilt, restored and renewed.

61:8-11 For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

When the heavens open up and Jesus returns with the New Jerusalem, there will be no more wrong-doing on the whole earth. The Covenant of Salvation will be celebrated forever. We citizens of heaven living in the earth made anew will be filled with the Lord’s righteousness. Instead of being covered with the troubles, sadness, hardship, difficulties, and sorrow of this world today; when the Lord returns we will rejoice in the Lord for he will clothe us in his garments of salvation, his robe of righteousness, and his love forever more.

This is the Good News of Salvation and this is what we celebrate and we anticipate in advent: the coming of Jesus in a manager and his return, any day now, as Saviour when all the wrongs in the world will be set right and all the hate will be replaced by love and death shall be overcome by life instead of the other way around. This is what Christmas is all about: Emmanuel, Christ with us and the Salvation of the whole world for evermore.

Let us pray

www.sheepspeak.com

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (23&24): The 7 P’s and the Pi

Presented to The Salvation Army, Nipawin Corps 14 December 2008
Presented to Swift Current Corps, 11 December 2011
and 614 Warehouse Mission in Toronto, 17 December 2017

by Captain Michael Ramsay

Click here to read the sermon:

http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2008/12/1-thessalonians-516-22-23-7-ps-and-pi.html

Devotion 3.13/115: Isaiah 40:3: Easy Running

Presented to River Street Cafe, 15 December 2017,

by Captain Michael Ramsay.

Read Isaiah 40:3b-5

  

Today we hear classic words of God through Isaiah also in the Gospels. A couple of weeks ago we had the Santa Shuffle. Heather participated and got a great metal. Since my 30s, I have off-again and on-again done quite a bit of running. When I lived in Vancouver I faithfully ran every second day. I lived about 5km from my office – I used to run there and back. In Winnipeg I lived almost 10km from the College, and a colleague and I did that run more than once. Running can be fun – but when you get out of the habit, and have to start again or when you start for the very first time it can be a chore. And sometimes those hills in your first few runs can feel like mountains and those valleys, ravines.  I can remember when I was first learning to run out west – where there are real mountains - being near the end of my run and my energy... rounding an almost last corner and seeing... a mountain to try to run up for my last 1/2k or so... Isaiah 40:3b-5:

“...make straight in the desert

a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

and all people will see it together.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

This is a great verse to ponder when you are running up and down hills and around curves, looking towards a time when obstacles will disappear. I also used to do a good deal of hiking and some backpacking. After a few hours following switchbacks up and down mountains, you can almost feel the relief of Isaiah’s valleys raised and mountains levelled. This is part of the Good News of Isaiah 40.

This is the Good News also that John the Baptist proclaims: when Jesus’ returns with His Kingdom, obstacles, barriers in life will be removed. As during Advent we mark waiting for Jesus’ birth, we also hope for His return –very soon- so that our mountains of trouble will be levelled and our valleys of despair will be raised to abundance and the crookedness of our paths will be straightened.

And today even, let us not hesitate to bring before the Lord the valleys in our life that are making us feel low and the mountains of troubles that seem to be insurmountable, for the Lord is the one who will walk with us side by side until the day that all those mountains are leveled, those valleys are filled and our paths are straightened for eternity.

 

Isaiah 40:1-8 (Luke 3:1-6): Straight Paths...

Presented to the 230pm service of Warehouse Mission 614 at 252 Carlton St., Toronto, on the second Sunday of Advent, 10 December 2017 by Captain Michael Ramsay

To see an abridged version presented to Alberni Valley Ministries, 05 December 2021, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2021/12/luke-31-6-isaiah-401-8-straight-paths.html

 

   

Today we heard classic words of God through Isaiah and Jesus that are quoted by John the Baptist. Last week we had the Santa Shuffle. Heather participated and got a great metal. Since my 30s, I have off-again and on-again done quite a bit of running. When I lived in Vancouver I faithfully ran every second day. I lived about 5km from my office – I used to run there and back. In Winnipeg I lived almost 10km from the College, and a colleague and I did that run more than once. Running can be fun – but when you get out of the habit, and have to start again or when you start for the very first time it can be a chore. And sometimes those hills in your first few runs can feel like mountains and those valleys, ravines.  I can remember when I was first learning to run out west – where there are real mountains - being near the end of my run and my energy... rounding an almost last corner and seeing... a mountain to try to run up for my last 1/2k or so... Isaiah 40:3b-5:

  

“...make straight in the desert

a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

and all people will see it together.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

  

This is a great verse to ponder when you are running up and down hills and around curves, looking towards a time when obstacles will disappear. I also used to do a good deal of hiking and some backpacking. After a few hours following switchbacks up and down mountains, you can almost feel the relief of Isaiah’s valleys raised and mountains levelled. This is part of the Good News of Isaiah 40. This is the Good News also that John the Baptist proclaims: when Jesus’ returns with His Kingdom, obstacles will be removed. As during Advent we mark waiting for Jesus’ birth, we also hope for His return so that our mountains of trouble will be levelled and our valleys of despair will be raised to abundance. The crookedness of our paths will be straightened. That is hope.

  

Last week we lit the candle of hope. Today we lit the candle of love. First one has hope and then one can dare to love. One of the key things about hope and love in the context of Isaiah is that both are to and from God and an humbled people, a conquered people, an exiled people. There is no hope when you are on top of the world...only fear that you will fall off.

  

In college, I remember looking at the marks going into one final exam and noticing that I had the 3^rd highest mark in that class. I then heard the people with the two highest marks brag to each other about which of the two of them would finish top of the class, like no one else was their equal – it was at that moment that I resolved that I would beat them both.  And I did.

  

There was a small city on the prairies where each Christmas we would raise more money per capita for The Salvation Army than any other place. At first this was a victory – and then it was fear. What happens if we are not the best? What if someone beats us? What if I do not beat my previous record? What if I fail?

  

It was the same in university, once I became addicted to ‘A+’s, a ‘B’ was infuriating. There was no inherent joy in achievement anymore only a fear of failure – and that fear of failure can stomp out hope and it can stomp out love.

  

It was not always like that though in school. I remember a time when I would hope and pray and celebrate even a passing grade. I remember grade 11 French. The only French words I remember from that year we’re ‘ne lancer pas la papier’ which means ‘don’t throw the paper’. Apparently the teacher didn’t like that we threw paper airplanes in class. So every time we made one, we could hear her say, ‘ne lancer pas la papier’ – still my most recalled French phrase.

  

I also remember that our teacher took attendance at the beginning of the class and though we didn’t want to go to class, we didn’t want to explain absences on our report cards, so some of us had a habit of sneaking out of the class right after the attendance sheet was handed in.  The teacher then moved my desk from near the back door to the opposite corner of the room she could to hinder my escape. As the class went on then, when the time was right, I would slowly move from my desk to an empty desk one row closer to the door, then when she turned around, I would move to a desk in the next row and then when she turned around again. I would keep doing this until I’d get to the seat by the door and then just run out. It would have worked a little better if the whole class wasn’t trying this – I think she caught on half or more of the rows of desks were empty.

  

I don’t think I was her favourite student. One day I was in the counselling alcove and I saw my French teacher and she asked me what I was doing, I told her I was switching out of her French in 3^rd period... ‘That is a very good idea to be out of my class’, she said. ‘...to your class in fourth period,’ I continued. She was not impressed.

  

She caught on to our sneaking out of the classroom and decided that she would check each of our homework everyday and use that as attendance. You only got your attendance mark if she saw your homework.  One day I forgot my homework and I was the first desk in front of her and she was coming around the class to check everyone’s homework, what could I do? Well, the person who sat behind me, Edmund, I think he had the best mark ever in the history of French 11; so, just as Madame Kalfon was coming around I quickly turned around and took his homework off his desk and presented it as my own. He protested but Madame Kalfon was oblivious and put a red tick mark on the paper; I then returned it to Edmund who was too stunned to protest further. Madame Kalfon then looked at the same homework and put a second check mark on it and continued on her way. I thought this was great fun so I took his paper and gave it to three or four other students so they could get their marks as well before I returned it to Edmund. She must have put 4 or 5 checks on Edmund’s homework each day!  I had a lot of hope in French 11 – Hope I wouldn’t get caught and hope I wouldn’t get kicked out… at the end of the day I also got a tutor and a good mark but when I had nothing in the way of academic pride I had hope and I still love to tell those stories. For any teenagers who may be listening – I did study very hard and I still went to university on scholarship... so do your work!

  

But forget my tales of youth. Don’t we all have stories of a more carefree time? Look back on those times: these are usually times when you didn’t have a lot except the love of a few good friends and the hope that the future will be better. There is a lot of freedom in not having much. Is it Janet Joplin who says that freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose?

  

Sometimes this is right. Sometimes I think we get to a place of fearing loss so much that we no longer have hope and we no longer have love. Sometimes when we have enough to get by, we don’t share what is ours for fear that we might not have something. This is reflected very much in tithing. A person who has tithed or knows they should tithe, does not tithe... this is a sign that we are not doing well at trusting God. This is a symptom that we are not free but instead bound up in fear or pride or something else that keeps us from tithing. I remember in one church in Tisdale we pastored, there was Ralph. He had a limited income. He only made $52.30 a week and you know what? Every week he tithed $5.23. I think of him when sometimes I am tempted to keep God’s tithe from Him, when sometimes I fear for my finances. Fear can be a crippler of hope and fear can detract from Love. Our candle today is love and perfect love drives out fear.

  

Pride can also rob us of hope and rob us of love. Sometimes we can be proud of our accomplishments – not in a bad way. Laura is an architect. I can only imagine what it would be like to look upon a building you have designed and built. Krys here wrote many songs and a book that was significant to me long before I ever met him. These congregations of Warehouse Mission and 614 have gone through a lot and God has used us to accomplish Kingdom objectives. There are things we can boast that the Lord has done in many of our lives here. I know friends who have been sober for years, who have been sober for months, who have been sober for days, who have been sober for hours and minutes... these are things to boast in the Lord about.

  

The problem is when we have pride in ‘our own accomplishments’ as if they rely are ‘our own accomplishments’ then you run into the problems I mentioned of fearing a failing mark in school or in life. Sometimes we build empires for ourselves. Sometimes – maybe like Jerusalem and her temple – before God pulled it down and exiled them, sometimes maybe we feel like we built something up and that can or never should be torn down. Sometimes it needs to come down.

  

In Advent we talk about the Good News of the Salvation of the world. Do you know where in the Bible this shows up for the first time? Genesis 12:1-3: “All the nations of the earth will be blessed” and do you know what happens just before then... Genesis 11: the tower of Babel. God told the people to move and fill the earth. The people said, ‘No. We are going to stay here, build a city and a tower, and make a name for ourselves instead.’ God levelled their tower, their city; and their pride and their fear in order to give them the hope of salvation.

  

The other week, we read about how God destroyed Nehustan that the Israelites used for centuries in worship of God, and how the LORD had it destroyed because the people were destroying themselves by worshiping it.

  

Isaiah records how God destroys His own temple, the holy city of Jerusalem, the independent nations of Israel and of Judah –until the day He returns. God tears down their country, levels their city, destroys their temple, and in so doing provides them here with the hope of flattened mountains, raised valleys, straight paths and the joy and love that can only come from trusting God in place of trusting nations, cities, temples, government, prosperity, and humanity.

  

This is the love that God has for us today as well. He loves us so much that if there are any valleys, mountains, crooked paths or Babel-like buildings of traditions, pride, fears, hate, or something else in our lives; He will flatten those mountains and tear down those buildings, for only then can we be rebuilt on His foundations.

  

There is a new song by a Canadian Band, Glorious Sons, whose first two lines have been stuck in my head for a few days now:

I spent all my money on a pack of cigarettes,

for a lady that I love with a name I forget.

  

The song tells a story with some troubles as it moves to the chorus which proclaims ‘Everything will be alright.” And for those of us who have already had the walls come tumbling down and are now in stages of exile in our own lives, for those of us who may feel like all is lost, for those of us who have seen our lives come crashing down around us, for those of us who are grieving, for those of us whose life feels like it is lost. God is here. When the people scattered from the ruins of Babel, God was there for Terah and Abraham offering salvation for the whole world. When Israel was slave to Egypt, God was there with Moses offering salvation; when Judah was exiled from her city, her temple, and her life, God was there looking out for her and pointing her towards Jesus’ Advent; whose imminent return we eagerly await today when the mountains in our life will be levelled, the valleys raised, and the paths made straight.

  

When our life is in exile maybe even from our own view of God; He will never leave us nor forsake us. Sometimes life is sad. Sometimes life is hard but God promises that someday our valleys of despair will be filled in, our mountains of trouble will be levelled and our crooked paths will be straightened – and, even until then He will journey with us every step of the way offering to bring us along in hope and in love. Today and this week let us all walk in God’s hope and love as we look forward to the day of Christ’s return when those valleys will be raised, those mountains will be levelled and our paths will straightened for ever more.

  

Let us pray.

   

www.sheepspeak.com 

Video of the 2021 remake:

Isaiah 40:1-8: Easy Running...

This is the abridged version presented to a.m. service of Warehouse 614 at 77 River Street in Toronto on the second Sunday of Advent, December 10, 2017

   

Today we heard classic words of God through Isaiah and Jesus that are quoted by John the Baptist. Last week we had the Santa Shuffle. Heather participated and got a great metal. Since my 30s, I have off-again and on-again done quite a bit of running. When I lived in Vancouver I faithfully ran every second day. I lived about 5km from my office – I used to run there and back. In Winnipeg I lived almost 10km from the College, and a colleague and I did that run more than once. Running can be fun – but when you get out of the habit, and have to start again or when you start for the very first time it can be a chore. And sometimes those hills in your first few runs can feel like mountains and those valleys, ravines.  I can remember when I was first learning to run out west – where there are real mountains - being near the end of my run and my energy... rounding an almost last corner and seeing... a mountain to try to run up for my last 1/2k or so... Isaiah 40:3b-5: 

“...make straight in the desert

a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

and all people will see it together.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

This is a great verse to ponder when you are running up and down hills and around curves, looking towards a time when obstacles will disappear. I also used to do a good deal of hiking and some backpacking. After a few hours following switchbacks up and down mountains, you can almost feel the relief of Isaiah’s valleys raised and mountains leveled. This is part of the Good News of Isaiah 40. This is the Good News also that John the Baptist proclaims: when Jesus’ returns with His Kingdom, obstacles will be removed. As during Advent we mark waiting for Jesus’ birth, we also hope for His return so that our mountains of trouble will be leveled and our valleys of despair will be raised to abundance. The crookedness of our paths will be straightened. That is hope.

Last week we lit the candle of hope. Today we lit the candle of love. First one has hope and then one can dare to love. One of the key things about hope and love in the context of Isaiah is that both are to and from God and an humbled people, a conquered people, an exiled people. There is no hope when you are on top of the world...only fear that you will fall off.

In Advent we talk about the Good News of the Salvation of the world. Do you know where in the Bible this shows up for the first time? Genesis 12:1-3: “All the nations of the earth will be blessed” and do you know what happens just before then... Genesis 11: the tower of Babel. God told the people to move and fill the earth. The people said, ‘No. We are going to stay here, build a city and a tower, and make a name for ourselves instead.’ God leveled their tower, their city; and their pride and their fear in order to give them the hope of salvation.

The other week, we read about how God destroyed Nehustan that the Israelites used for centuries in worship of God, and how the LORD had it destroyed because the people were destroying themselves by worshiping it.

Isaiah records how God destroys His own temple, the holy city of Jerusalem, the independent nations of Israel and of Judah –until the day He returns. God tears down their country, levels their city, destroys their temple, and in so doing provides them here with the hope of flattened mountains, raised valleys, straight paths and the joy and love that can only come from trusting God in place of trusting nations, cities, temples, government, prosperity, and humanity.

This is the love that God has for us today as well. He loves us so much that if there are any valleys, mountains, crooked paths or Babel-like buildings of traditions, pride, fears, hate, or something else in our lives; He will flatten those mountains and tear down those buildings, for only then can we be rebuilt on His foundations.

There is a new song by a Canadian Band, Glorious Sons, whose first two lines have been stuck in my head for a few days now:

I spent all my money on a pack of cigarettes,

for a lady that I love with a name I forget.

The song tells a story with some troubles as it moves to the chorus which proclaims ‘Everything will be alright.” And for those of us who have already had the walls come tumbling down and are now in stages of exile in our own lives, for those of us who may feel like all is lost, for those of us who have seen our lives come crashing down around us, for those of us who are grieving, for those of us whose life feels like it is lost. God is here. When the people scattered from the ruins of Babel, God was there for Terah and Abraham offering salvation for the whole world. When Israel was slave to Egypt, God was there with Moses offering salvation; when Judah was exiled from her city, her temple, and her life, God was there looking out for her and pointing her towards Jesus’ Advent; whose imminent return we eagerly await today when the mountains in our life will be leveled, the valleys raised, and the paths made straight.

When our life is in exile maybe even from our own view of God; He will never leave us nor forsake us. Sometimes life is sad. Sometimes life is hard but God promises that someday our valleys of despair will be filled in, our mountains of trouble will be leveled and our crooked paths will be straightened – and, even until then He will journey with us every step of the way offering to bring us along in hope and in love. Today and this week let us all walk in God’s hope and love as we look forward to the day of Christ’s return when those valleys will be raised, those mountains will be leveled and our paths will straightened for ever more.

Let us pray.

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